UK motorway pile-up 'worst for two decades'

Britain has not seen a road traffic accident on the sheer scale of yesterday’s M5 motorway pile-up for the past two decades, according to experts.

Edmund King, president of the AA, said the only comparable incident was a major crash which involved 51 cars travelling along a stretch of the M4 in Berkshire in March 1991.

At least seven people have been killed and 51 injured in yesterday's accident.

Police said the death toll from the crash on the M5 in Somerset last night was expected to rise as the recovery operation continued.

Some 34 vehicles were involved in the accident, which happened in wet and foggy conditions and was described by emergency workers as “the worst road traffic collision anyone can remember”.

The 1991 crash, which happened near the town of Hungerford, left 10 people dead and a further 25 injured.

It happened in heavy fog during morning rush hour after a van skidded into the central barrier of the east-bound carriageway.

The initial accident caused various crashes between a number of other vehicles - including articulated lorries – with drivers’ vision restricted by the poor weather conditions.

Leaked car fuel and combustible material being carried in a vans ignited, setting light to a number of vehicles.

The section of motorway was closed for four days following the crash, which led to hazard lights being used to warn drivers of fog on British motorways.