MOTORISTS faced hours of delays on the A34 last night as fire, police and ambulance crews were called to two multi-vehicle pile-ups.

Drivers were already facing heavy bank holiday congestion before a crash at 1pm caused two hours of delays.

Firefighters from Kidlington and Rewley Road, in Oxford, were called to the northbound carriageway between the Peartree interchange and the Islip turn.

Three cars were involved in the crash, and all passengers were attended by paramedics, but no-one was believed to have been seriously injured.

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service was called out again shortly after 3.15pm to reports of a second pile-up near Didcot.

Police confirmed reports of a crash involving three cars – a silver Audi A4, and two Honda Civics – and at least one lorry on the northbound carriageway near to the Chilton interchange.

Conflicting reports suggested a second lorry had also been involved in the crash.

Both carriageways were closed to allow the Thames Valley Air Ambulance to land.

Fire crews from Didcot and Abingdon attended and helped to cut one person from a vehicle, who is believed to have suffered a cut to their forehead.

Initially no-one was believed to have been badly hurt, but police later confirmed two people were taken to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital, one suffering suspected spinal injuries and the other with broken ankles.

The road was closed for about three hours northbound between the A4185, Chilton interchange, and the A4130, Milton interchange, and traffic was redirected back on at the next junction.

One lane remained closed until the early evening as police cleared fuel and debris from the road.

Traffic was also heavy on the M40 southbound between junction 10 at Brackley and junction nine at Bicester, and on the A41 out of Bicester.

Anyone with any information on either crash can call Thames Valley Police on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.