A woman had to be cut free from her car after smashing into the central reservation of the A1M at Stevenage on Saturday afternoon.

Fire crews cut the roof off a blue Peugeot 306 to free the trapped driver after she crashed between junctions 8 and 7 southbound just before 1.30pm.

Paramedics stabilised the woman who received back and neck injuries in the collision, before taking her to Lister Hospital for further treatment.

The southbound carriageway and the overtaking lane northbound were shut by police, causing traffic to back up in the area. They were reopened at 3.20pm after the vehicle and debris was cleared.

As traffic backed up northbound due to the accident, police received several calls of dogs on the motorway between junctions 6 and 7 at around 1.45pm.

When officers arrived there was no sign of the animals, a Herts Police spokesman said.