FOUR greyhounds were recovered from the scene of a multiple accident on the A1(M).

Two of the dogs were injured and all were said to be distressed after the vehicle in which they were travelling was involved in one of two successive collisions on the southbound carriageway, in County Durham.

As emergency services were receiving reports of the first accident, involving two vehicles, at 9.15pm on Monday, a second collision took place between two more cars, at the same spot, just south of the Bowburn A177 interchange, at junction 60.

Three fire crews attended the scene and put out a blaze which burned out a red Nissan Primera, as it lay overturned on the hard shoulder.

One person was cut free from one of the vehicles, and two people were taken to hospital. A man suffered a broken arm and a woman received treatment for a back injury.

One greyhound fled the scene in panic and was recovered from the foot of a nearby embankment by an officer, after being located by a heat-seeking device in the police force aircraft, which was scrambled to check for any missing casualties.

The RSPCA was called to the scene and an officer tended to the greyhounds, which were taken for treatment at a vet's surgery.

Police said the southbound carriageway of the A1(M) was closed between Bowburn and Bradbury interchanges for a short time while the damaged vehicles were removed by recovery trucks.

* In a separate accident, firefighters cut free two people from a car which was left lying on its side after careering off a road outside the Smith's Arms pub in Smithy Dene, Breckon Hill, near Great Lumley, County Durham, shortly before 8.30am yesterday.