A motorist had to be cut from the wreckage of his car after it was involved in a collision with a coach today.

The crash occurred in the Faverdale area of Darlington during the early morning rush hour and led to huge tailbacks.

The accident happened at the junction of Auckland Oval and West Auckland Road just after 7.30am.

All three emergency services were called to the scene after a witness made a 999 call.

A man from the Cockerton area of Darlington was freed from the car and taken to the Memorial Hospital, suffering with minor facial injuries. A police spokesman said: "It caused major traffic problems due to the fact that it was at a peak time. Tailbacks stretched right back to the A1."