SEVEN people were injured in a major three-car crash on the A31 at Ringwood last night .

Firefighters had to cut two casualties free from a car following the collision on the westbound lane at around 5.45pm.

One elderly patient was airlifted to Southampton General Hospital by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance.

The helicopter then returned to pick up another casualty from the scene, near the junction with the A338.

Paramedics from South Central Ambulance service took other casualties to hospital by road.

A doctor from the British Association of Immediate Care Schemes, which sends medical experts to deal with serious injuries at incidents, also attended.

Firefighters from Burley and Ringwood stations used hydraulic cutting equipment to remove the roof of one car, a Hampshire Fire and Rescue service spokesman said.

The fire crews spent around an hour on scene.

Drivers faced long tailbacks as Hampshire Police closed the westbound lane, close to the Ringwood slip road, for around three hours as emergency services dealt with the accident.

Recovery was requested for the cars, a Land Rover, a Ford Fiesta and a Hyundai Coupe, a Hampshire Police spokeswoman said. The injuries were not thought to be serious, she added. Queuing motorists said they didn’t move for more than 20 minutes at a time.

Highways teams were also called in to deal with spilt oil.