The A12 was closed for hours near Colchester after a crash this morning.

Fire crews were called to the two-vehicle incident at 6.19am between J28 and J29 of the Ipswich-bound carriageway.

Three fire engines attended the scene but no one was trapped.

Three ambulances were sent to the scene to treat four people with injuries

A service spokeswoman said that one was suffering from chest pain while another had abdominal pain.

Three of the injured were taken to hospital but none are believed to be suffering life-threatening injuries.

Police were called to the scene to manage the traffic.

An Essex Police spokeswoman said: "Highways Agency assessed the damage to the barrier. A diversion was put in place and carriageway was reopened at 8.30am."

The carriageway was reopened but the outside lane has been closed on both sides of the road to allowe repair crews and engineers to repair damage to the barrier.