Drivers are being warned of major delays along a busy A road in the north west of England following a five-vehicle collision.

The A1 in Tyne and Wear is closed in both directions between J73 (Swalwell) and J75 (Denton) due to the serious accident.

Emergency services, including Northumbria Police, are in attendance at the scene, with National Highways Traffic Officers assisting with traffic management.

The closure is expected to remain closed in both directions into the afternoon following the accident, with current delays of around an hour.

The A1 is expected to remain closed until later this afternoon

The multi-vehicle collision occurred at around 2.30am this morning and resulted in "serious injuries", National Highways stated.

As a result of the serious incident, Northumbria Police have launched a full investigation. They advise that it will be "protracted".

National Highways confirmed that traffic is being diverted via local routes, with motorists advised to allow for extra journey time.

The organisation added that drivers should plan ahead and even re-route or delay their journey following the incident.

Since there is no official diversion route for the section of the A1, local roads in the vicinity are heavily congested.

The A19 to the east of Newcastle is suffering from large amounts of traffic, as cars from other areas around the city are using it as an alternative to the A1.

National Highways has urged motorists to keep track of updates on its social media channels and plan their route ahead.

Traffic maps show congestion and delays around Newcastle on the A1