A WOMAN had to be cut from the wreckage of a two-car crash which has closed the A13 eastbound.

The crash, thought to have happened shortly after 6pm, closed the eastbound carriageway of the road at Orsett Cock.

A diversion is in operation via the slip roads at the junction, but congestion is queuing back to Tilbury.

The fire service was called to the crash at 6.09pm with two crews from Orsett and one from Basildon attending.

A spokesperson for Essex County Fire and Rescue said: "Firefighters released a woman trapped following a two vehicle road traffic collision on the A13 Southend bound near the Dock Approach Road.

"Using one set of cutting equipment to remove the roof from the car, crews had released the casualty by 7.01pm, leaving her in the care of the Ambulance Service."

Fortunately the patient, a woman in her twenties, suffered only minor injuries but was taken to Basildon Hospital for further treatment.