A serious crash on the A1(M) between Stevenage and Letchworth has left a car on its side, with an air ambulance on the scene amid closures on the motorway in both directions.

Police told this paper at 3.55pm they expected to close the road in both directions after the crash – which involved “several vehicles” and happened on the northbound stretch between Junction 8 for Stevenage and Junction 9 for Letchworth Gate, shortly after 3.30pm.

At 4.15pm, a force spokeswoman said the road was closed in both directions for safety while the air ambulance landed, and that officers were working to get traffic moving as soon as possible.

She added that both sides of the motorway would have to be closed again when the air ambulance takes off.

At 4.45pm, she said the road closures had been lifted.

Paramedics, Stevenage and Royston firefighters and police rushed to the scene after reports that at least one person was trapped. Firefighters used two sets of cutting equipment to free the trapped person.

An eyewitness said people in the car on its side looked to be “very hurt indeed”, and that it looked as if a vehicle had been undertaking and then “gone at quite some speed – they’ve gone through the fence”.

We are awaiting further updates from the emergency services.