BOTH lanes of the A14 in Suffolk have reopened after an accident forced them to close for more than five hours today.Four vehicles, including a police car, were involved in a smash at Risby early today which saw both the Bury St Edmunds-bound lanes of the road closed.

BOTH lanes of the A14 in Suffolk have reopened after an accident forced them to close for more than five hours today.

Four vehicles, including a police car, were involved in a smash at Risby early today which saw both the Bury St Edmunds-bound lanes of the road closed.

The drama began with a two-vehicle collision but when police sent a roads policing unit to the scene, another car hit the police car, leaving two people needing to be cut free by firefighters.

No one was seriously injured in the accident and two men taken to West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds with abdominal injuries have been released.

The original accident, at around 12.30am, involved a Fiat Uno and another car. The second collision happened just minutes later when officers from the roads policing vehicle were coning off the area.

The car involved was a white Ford Fiesta, which collided with the back of the emergency vehicle.

The driver and passenger of the Fiesta, both men in their late teens, were the two injured parties in the crash.

Firfighters were called at 1.30am and used heavy cutting gear to release the two men from the Fiesta. It took around 30minutes to release the pair.

Alex Webb, police operations room supervisor, said: “It turned out to be a non-serious injury accident.

“Initially the two men were taken to hospital with abdominal injuries but they were both discharged later this morning.

“Although the fire service was called the men were not trapped physically. The ambulance requested help in cutting them free for safety reasons.

“Fortunately there was very little traffic disruption because of the time of day.”

Suffolk police said the accident is still being investigated.