POLICE are urging traffic to avoid the A59 near York after an accident at Poppleton blocked the major route.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance is at the scene, as is a road ambulance and two fire crews from Acomb and Huntington.

The firefighters rescued a woman from one of the two cars involved.

Queues have built up in both directions and rush hour traffic is experiencing long delays on the road which joins York with the A1(M) , Knaresborough and Harrogate.

According to traffic sergeant Paul Cording, the crash happened between Newlands Lane and Hodgson Lane close to the Red Lion pub on the outskirts of the Poppleton villages.

He urged all traffic to use alternative routes and large vehicles in particular to use the A1(M) and the A64 instead of the A59 to get to their destinations.

Traffic is building on the B1224 Wetherby to York road which some vehicles are using to get round the blockage and the tailbacks on the A59 are causing problems at the A59/A1237 York Outer Ring Road roundabout and on Boroughbridge Road in York itself.