THERE was gridlock on rural roads yesterday after a three-car crash led to the road being closed the A35 for more than four hours.

Emergency services were called shortly before 11am to a collision at Yellowham Hill on the Puddletown bypass.

The crash - which involved a brown Honda, registered to a person from Weymouth, a silver Mitsubishi and white Nissan, both registered to people from Dorchester – led to the A35 being closed east of Dorchester from the B3150 Stinsford Hill roundabout to the Cuckoo Lane turning for Troy Town.

It was closed for four-and-a-half hours while the vehicles were recovered and a large oil spillage was cleared.

A spokesman for Dorset Police said they were called at 10.46am by South Western Ambulance Service.

Officers put a road closure in place while recovery work took place and an oil spillage was cleared.

One person was injured but their injuries were non-life threatening, according to the spokesman.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service were called shortly after 11am. Two appliances from Dorchester attended the scene.

Drivers were advised to avoid the area and head on to the A35 east to Lytchett Minster and join the A351 southbound.

At Wareham, motorists were advised to join the A352 westbound and continue through Wool, Winfrith Newburgh, Owermoigne, Broadmayne and re-join the A35 at Dorchester.

The diversion caused huge tailbacks.

Lawrence Roots was travelling from Poole to Exeter when he became caught in traffic.

He says the road was “chaos” and that there was “nowhere for traffic to go.”

“All westbound traffic was forced to leave the A35 at the Higher Bockhampton exit and head down narrow country lanes through the small village,” he said. “There was so much traffic coming from the opposite direction that cars, vans and trucks were all struggling to pass, mounting verges and churning up the grass.

“There was a complete mud bath with several vehicles almost getting stuck.

“There were no police or signs at any point to control the situation.

We were travelling from Poole and it took more than three hours to get to Dorchester.”