A LORRY driver has been arrested after an early morning crash which left four men seriously hurt.

The 4.30am collision between a lorry and a Vauxhall Astra van completely closed the A1 in North Yorkshire for more than six hours, causing delays for thousands of motorists.

Four men in the van suffered serious injuries and were taken to Harrogate District Hospital.

Last night, two were said to be very poorly, while two were in a stable condition.

All four are aged between 25 and 40. Three are from Doncaster and one is from Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

The crash happened on the northbound carriageway of the A1 between the junctions with the A61 at Baldersby and the A168 near Dishforth.

It is believed that the HGV was turning right into the southbound carriageway, but its rear was still in the northbound lanes.

The van collided with the back of the lorry, trapping all four men inside. They had to be cut free by firefighters.

The lorry driver, a man from Poland, was not hurt. He was arrested at the scene and was last night being questioned at Harrogate Police Station.

Police closed the A1 in both directions while they investigated the crash and cleared the wreckage.

Traffic was queuing for more than a mile in both directions on the A1.

Northbound traffic was diverted onto the A168 and along the A19, while southbound vehicles were sent onto the A61 towards Ripon before rejoining the A1 at Boroughbridge. The knock-on effect caused heavy congestion in Northallerton, Thirsk and Ripon.