A man was killed early this morning when his car left the road and hit a tree.

The 24-year-old man from York, died after his car veered across the city's Foss Islands Road, mounted the kerb, went up a grass verge and hit the tree at around 5.45am.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash forced the closure of part of York's inner ring road, between the Walmgate Bar junction and Navigation Road, causing substantial delays for motorists until it re-opened at 10am.

North Yorkshire Police Sergeant Ian Butler, said officers did not know how the victim's gold Vauxhall Cavalier came to leave the road, and appealed for anyone who saw the crash to phone TC Dave Taylor on (01904) 669727.