A CRASH near a North-East landmark this morning caused serious delays on a major road.

An Alfa Romeo and a Citroen Xsaro Picasso were involved the accident on the A1 northbound near The Angel of the North, at Gateshead, at about 11.50am.

Police, paramedics and an air ambulance attended the scene.

A police spokesman said the driver of the Alfa Romeo, which had landed on its roof, was taken to Newcastle General Hospital with serious injuries.

It is not believed anyone else was seriously hurt.

The northbound carriageway was blocked and traffic was re-routed along the A167, causing long tailbacks and traffic problems along minor roads as drivers looked for the quickest way back to the A1.

The southbound carriageway remained unblocked.

The police spokesman said the northbound carriageway was gradually reopened at about 3pm, though it took a number of hours for the backlog to clear.

The driver of the Alfa Romeo, who was from Chester-le-Street, in County Durham, is recovering from his injuries, which were described as "not life threatening".

Anyone who witnessed the accident should contact the police on 03456-043-043.

Meanwhile, there was further traffic misery further north on the A1, when the route was blocked in both directions following a crash near Ellingham at 4pm.

A police spokesman said the road was closed near the Seahouses turn off following a collision between a BMW SE Auto Car and a lorry.

The road remains closed. There are no further details regarding possible casualties.