THREE people have been left with serious injuries after a crash in Christchurch.

A section of Fairmile Road has been closed for more than three hours following the crash which involved three cars, leading to lengthy traffic delays in the Castle Lane East area.

A spokesman for South Western Ambulance Service said that it was called to the scene at 2.51pm. There are reports of three casualties, all women and two of them elderly, who have suffered serious but not life-threatening chest injuries.

The roof had to be cut from one of the cars to release them.

Fairmile Road is closed between The Grove and the hospital roundabout, which has left drivers stationary in heavy traffic on routes into the town.

A Dorset Police spokesman said the delay in re-opening the road was due to recovery vehicles being stuck in traffic elsewhere, and officers had also been awaiting local authority engineers to deal with an oil spillage.

At 6.20pm the engineers were at the scene, with the road expected to be re-opened shortly.

Carer Karen Leverton contacted the Daily Echo to say she had been stuck in the car park at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital for an hour and half.

"I had just popped in to visit a client thinking I would have lots of time to get to work this evening," she said.

"I haven't even got to the mini roundabout yet."

Dorset Police said that the collision occurred outside Christchurch Hospital and involved a Fiat 500, Ford Fiesta and Hyundai ix20.