DORSET police are appealing for drivers to be more careful after a spate of accidents across the area on Thursday.

A spokesman said: "We urge motorists to pay attention to roads, conditions and the road ahead particularly when traffic is heavy and to always leave a suitable stopping distance between them and the vehicle ahead."

The Spur Road was closed for a much of the morning northbound after three collisions.

At 8.41am police were called to a crash involving a grey Renault Megane registered to a man from Poole and a red Renault Clio registered to a woman from Bournemouth.

The outside lane of the Ringwood-bound carriageway north of Blackwater Bridge was blocked while the police and ambulance attended the incident.

This was followed by two further rear shunts on the road.

Just before 10am police were called again after a silver Ford Focus and a blue lorry just south of the Hurn turn off were involved in an accident.

Another minor accident occurred at about the same time on the road between a green Fiat Punto and one other vehicle.

Elsewhere in Bourne-mouth, a male driver was trapped in his car after a crash at the junction of Holden-hurst Road and Cleveland Road just before 8am.

The road was blocked until 8.35am while police dealt with the collision between a red Toyota Corolla and a red Volkswagen Golf both registered to men from Bournemouth.

The fire brigade removed the roof from the Toyota to free the man, who had a suspected neck injury.

Fire fighters also had to remove the windscreen of an overturned van to release three occupants after an accident on the notorious A35.

Large tail backs formed following the accident just before 6.30am yesterday on the busy junction between the A31 and the A35.

One of the occupants of the white Mercedes Sprinter van was taken to Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester by ambulance with a suspected broken collar bone. The road was cleared just after 8.30am.

In Christchurch, there was a collision between a blue Citroen Saxo and a red Ford Galaxy both registered to men from the town. An ambulance crew attended the incident just after 8am but no one was hurt. The Endfield Road end of Arcadia Road was blocked until 9.30am but no one was hurt.