NINE people were taken to hospital after a lorry and a bus crashed on the A14 causing lengthy tailbacks on the busy road.The impact sent the bus careering into the road's central crash barrier causing extensive damage to the single-decker vehicle and blocking two of the three lanes on the A14 near Newmarket.

NINE people are recovering today after being taken to hospital following a lorry and bus crash on the A14 causing lengthy tailbacks on the busy road.

The impact sent the bus careering into the road's central crash barrier causing extensive damage to the single-decker vehicle and blocking two of the three lanes on the A14 near Newmarket.

The accident occurred at 11.20am yesterday.

Firefighters said they arrived at the “dramatic scene” to find the bus damaged at the front end and resting on the central crash barrier with 14 frightened passengers - many of them injured - inside.

Ambulance crews called to the scene stretchered one woman from the wreckage on a back board and another victim needed a neck brace to be fitted before she was taken to safety.

Paramedics and doctors checked over all 14 passengers who were on the bus at the time of the accident on the west-bound stretch of the road.

Four ambulances were called in to take the nine people with the most serious injuries to West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds, and Addenbrooke's in Cambridge.

One patient went to Addenbrooke's and the other nine were taken to the Bury unit but their injuries were described as “cuts and bruises”.

Police, fire and the air ambulance were all called to the scene after the black articulated lorry collided with the bus.