MOTORISTS faced rush-hour chaos after two collisions on the M65.

The first crash involved a wagon and a car and happened at junction 11 at Burnley on the westbound side.

Police were called to the scene at 8.10am yesterday after reports the car had spun and stopped near the central reservation.

Drivers reported three miles of tailbacks as recovery work was carried out.

The second incident happened around 9am when an orange Ford Transit van overturned at junction 10 at Burnley on the eastbound carriageway.

The exit slip road was closed and traffic backed up to junction eight at Accrington.

Motorists reported a silver car also being loaded onto a van by recovery workers.

One driver said: “I was caught by the accident on the exit road at junction 10 at around 9.30am. The traffic was queuing back for a couple of miles and lots of vehicles were also queuing to get off a junction earlier.

“When I went past, the vehicles were just being loaded onto recovery trucks.

“The two lanes that continue past junction 10 further east were down to one lane, which was causing a lot of the delays.”

Firefighters also attended to make the scene safe.

Crew manager Bob Birtwistle, from Hyndburn Fire Station, said: “The guy was out of the van and in the back of the ambulance when we arrived. We disconnected the battery and made the scene safe.”