A CYCLIST was killed, two police officers injured and a van overturned in three separate accidents which brought chaos to Suffolk's roads today.Two of the accidents cut off the county on its busiest road links providing commuters with a start-of-the-week rush-hour headache.

By Lisa Baxter

A CYCLIST was killed, two police officers injured and a van overturned in three separate accidents which brought chaos to Suffolk's roads today.

Two of the accidents cut off the county on its busiest road links providing commuters with a start-of-the-week rush-hour headache.

Traffic ground to a standstill on the A14 as tailbacks stretched back many miles from the scene of the fatal smash at Haughley and queues stretched back along the A12 as emergency services attended another accident.

A male cyclist, believed to be in his 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene which happened in the speed restricted section of the westbound carriageway known as the Haughley bends immediately after the first speed camera.

The victim had been struck by a number of vehicles and was found lying in the middle of the inside lane of the westbound carriageway. He was pronounced dead by a doctor from the Suffolk Accident Rescue Service.

It appears that the man may have paid for turning Good Samaritan and stopping to clear debris left by an earlier smash.

An eyewitness said that the victim's orange mountain bike did not appear to be damaged and may have been left at the side of the road while the cyclist picked up milk bottles and broken glass after an earlier accident.

Police were diverting westbound traffic from as far back as the turn-off for the A140 near Claydon. Other diversions through the villages either side of the A14 were also in place although by 9am traffic was beginning to move after one lane was opened.

Elsewhere in the county, two police officers had a narrow escape after their patrol car left the road and overturned near Southwold.

The officers were taken to the James Paget Hospital with minor injuries following the crash that happened shortly after 2.30am on the A1095 at Blythburgh.

A police spokesman was unable to say whether the two Pcs were answering an emergency call at the time of the accident.

There was misery in store for commuters heading south out of Suffolk after a VW van overturned on the A12 a few hours later.

At 6.15am police were called to attend an accident involving a grey and white panel van that had overturned on the southbound carriageway. No one is believed to have been injured in the crash, although considerable delays were caused.