Drivers faced rush hour disruption this morning after a three vehicle crash on Norwich's southern bypass, while a second crash closed Dereham Road in Costessey.

The A47 crash, between the A140 Ipswich Road and the A146, happened just before 8am.

Ambulance crews went to the scene, but police said there were long tailbacks and part of the westbound road was blocked.

The A146 slip road was also closed.

It is is understood that a Volkswagen and a Corsa were among the vehicles involved. Witnesses said three fire crews were at the scene and a man cut free from one of the vehicles.

By 10.20am the road was completely re-opened, with traffic moving freely again.

A spokeswoman for the East of England Ambulance Service said an off-duty paramedic was one of the first on the scene.

They said a man was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital with a suspected neck injury.

Meanwhile, a second crash, which also involved three vehicles, happened at about 8.10am in Costessey.

It happened at the roundabout on the Dereham Road at the Wendene entrance to Bowthorpe.

Police said a person had suffered back and neck injuries and needed to be cut out by firefighters. The ambulance service confirmed they took a casualty to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

The A1074 was closed and did not re-open until just after 11.45am.