A three-car accident caused rush-hour traffic chaos on the A2 on Tuesday morning.

The pile-up at the Black Prince interchange led to lengthy delays on the London-bound carriageway back to the M25 junction.

Three people were taken to hospital after the incident, shortly before 8.40am.

A 47-year-old man was taken to Darent Valley Hospital with spinal injuries, a London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said.

Two women, aged 24 and 26, were taken to Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup, with chest pain and spinal injuries.

Commuters travelling to London faced gridlock with the A2 between Dartford Heath and the Black Prince closed for most of the morning.