TWO separate road accidents are causing major traffic disruption on a North-East arterial route.

A police spokesman said there had been crashes on both the northbound and southbound carriageways of the A19 in east Durham.

While the northbound carriageway has now reopened, there are reported queues up to several miles long.

A police spokesman said a two-vehicle accident had happened on the A19 southbound between Murton and the Easington Services at about 3.55pm.

He said: "One of the vehicles has overturned and the incident is being treated as serious.

"Members of the Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service have helped to extricate the driver from the vehicle and emergency services are still as the scene."

The southbound carriageway road remains closed at the Dalton Park roundabout and traffic is being diverted through Murton.

The two-vehicle accident on the northbound carriageway happened at about a mile south of the Easington services at 4.45pm.

The spokesman said: "The road was closed for a while and the drivers exchanged details. The road re-opened at 5.40pm but there are substantial tailbacks."