A van flipped over after colliding with a car and led to a rescue operation causing rush hour tailbacks on the A3.

Witnesses reported seeing the crumpled vehicle yesterday and warned drivers to avoid the area after seeing fire engines, police and ambulances tearing down the southbound carriageway.

A person trapped had to be cut free by firefighters.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman initially said a car had hit a tree just after 4pm at Hook Rise South between Hook and Esher.

The road between A243 Hook Road and A244 Copsem Lane was briefly closed, but partially blocked for a few hours.

Traffic had only just recovered from a police incident on the M25 earlier in the day.

Joanna Santinon tweeted: "30 degrees – traffic not moving at all, 100 miles still to go and I have a 3 & 5 year old in the car - #badday for all."

This morning, a London Fire Brigade spokesman said: "Two cars in a collision, one which had turned over. One person was trapped, injured and released by firefighters using cutting equipment.

"Three further people were injured and they were all being treated by London Ambulance Service."

A Surrey Police spokesman said: "The collision, which involved a red Volkswagen Polo and a white Fiat van, saw the carriageway partly closed until around 4.40pm.

"Officers quickly attended along with Surrey Fire and Rescue Service and the South East Coast Ambulance Service but there were no reports of any serious injuries."