MOTORISTS had a miraculous escape this morning after an eight-vehicle pile-up on the M5 at Worcester.

Three articulated lorries, a minibus carrying farm workers and a flatbed van were all involved in the accident, which caused the closure of the entire southbound carriageway for around 20 minutes between Junction 4A and Junction 5.

Afterwards, ambulance crews expressed their shock that no-one was badly hurt in the collision, which happened shortly after 7am.

Paramedic Neil Musgrove said: "When I saw the damage I was expecting many serious injuries.

"There were at least eight vehicles involved in the crash - three articulated lorries, a minibus carrying farm workers, a flatbed van and at least three cars.

"There was wreckage in lanes one and three of the motorway. The minibus in particular had extensive damage.

"In the past I have arrived at vehicles with less damage and found patients with multiple injuries. Today, thankfully, no-one was hurt.

"We assessed everyone at the scene, and apart from a couple of minor bumps and bruises, no-one required hospital treatment.

"This had the potential to be a very significant incident - thankfully it was not."

There are long tailbacks on the M5 this morning, with one lane remaining closed on the southbound carriageway until after 9am and delays reported of up to an hour.

Although all lanes have now been reopened, southbound delays remain severe. There are also delays northbound as motorists slow down to look at the accident on the opposite carriageway.