Six people were taken to hospital and the driver of a police car was injured after a large spillage of oil turned a major trunk road near Selby into a "skating rink."

The vehicles, including the police car on its way to the crash scene on the A19 just south of Burn, skidded on the oil and lost control.

Police Constable Chris Hyland suffered minor chest injuries, and an elderly couple from Selby had to be cut out of their Ford Fiesta by firefighters.

As further reports came in of cars skidding, police were forced to set up a roadblock, and the A19 was closed for two hours between Burn and Eggborough.

The chaos started after a lorry lost a valve on one of its fuel tanks, leaving a spillage of oil stretching from Eggborough to Burn, where the truck broke down.

Drivers of a Toyota and a VW Golf were the first victims as their cars collided after skidding on the diesel.

A Ford Fiesta travelling north along the A19 then skidded on the oil on a bend near Burn before veering into another oncoming Fiesta and a Hiace van.

Pensioners Bernard and Margaret Williamson, of Olympia Crescent, Barlby, who were in the Fiesta which skidded, sustained serious injuries and were taken to Pontefract General Infirmary where they were described as stable. The couple had to be cut from their car by firefighters using hydraulic cutting equipment.

The driver of the other Fiesta, Gary Nicholson, from Barnsley, was taken to Selby War Memorial Hospital with a broken wrist.

Hiace van driver Paul Brennan, from Doncaster, was taken to hospital with head injuries and concussion and detained overnight.

PC Andy Patchett said: "The road was like a skating rink. We were slipping about on our feet at the scene.

"We have interviewed the driver of the wagon and examined the vehicle as part of our investigation."