A SERIOUS crash on the A31 at Stag Gate east of Bere Regis left five people injured and forced the closure of the road for nine hours.

Dorset Police are now appealing for witnesses to the crash, which took place just after 11pm on Wednesday and involved three vehicles.

Two people were seriously injured in the collision, which left the A31 closed between the Roundhouse roundabout and Bere Regis into yesterday morning.

Three others were also hurt, although not seriously, it is understood.

None of the injuries are described as life-threatening.

The driver of a Volkswagen Jetta, a local woman in her 30s, was taken to Southampton General Hospital.

An Audi A3 left the road and came to rest in a field. The driver - aged in his 20s and from Hampshire - also sustained serious injuries and after being treated by paramedics at the scene was also taken to Southampton General Hospital.

A spokesman for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said the casualties involved two women, a man and a child.

The spokesman said the casualties were treated at the scene by the fire service, an off duty fire fighter and doctor as well as the ambulance and air ambulance crews.

A blue Ford Fiesta was also involved.

The driver of the Fiesta and two passengers, all from West Sussex, suffered minor injuries and were assessed at the scene before being taken to Poole Hospital.

Sergeant Craig Tatton, of Dorset Police’s traffic unit, said: “I am appealing to anyone who witnessed the collision or the driving of either vehicle prior to the incident to please contact Dorset Police.” Earlier this month the A31 was also closed near Stag Gate after an articulated lorry lost its load.

The latest collision has also sparked calls for road safety improvements in the area, which has been described as an accident blackspot by some local motorists.

One Echo reader said: “How many serious accidents have to take place on this road before the highways agency do something about it?

“There’s not a week goes by without an accident.”