Six people including three children rushed to hospital after separate crashes on M6

West Midlands Ambulance Service was initially called at 11.35am on Monday to reports of a two-car collision on the southbound carriageway, between Junction 16 for Crewe and 15 for Stoke-on-Trent.

Two ambulances, two paramedic officers and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford attended the scene.

However, less than 20 minutes later, two lorries and a car heading north collided along the same stretch of road.

An additional ambulance and paramedic officer rushed to the scene.

A total of six people, including three children, were taken to hospital across the two collisions.

A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: "On arrival at the first incident, on the southbound carriageway, we discovered three patients.

“A man was found to have suffered serious injuries and received specialist trauma care at the scene before being taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital by land ambulance.

"The medic, from the air ambulance, travelled with the patient to help continue treatment en-route to hospital.

“A woman was treated for potentially serious injuries whilst a child was treated for injuries not believed to be serious before they were taken to the same hospital, also by land ambulance.

“The second collision, on the northbound carriageway, resulted in three patients.

“A woman and two children were all treated for injuries not believed to be serious before being taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital on the same land ambulance.”

The southbound carriageway remained closed as of 2.30pm, with motorists experiencing delays of around 90 minutes.

In an update, National Highways said: "Traffic caught within the closure is still being turned around from the rear of the queue, but with lorries having to reverse back to J16 this will take some considerable time."

National Highways has warned that whilst the northbound carriageway has re-opened, delays of around an hour remain.