TWO of the main routes in the county were brought to a standstill last night after pile-ups and traffic light failures.The emergency services were first called to the A14 westbound after two articulated lorries and a Peugeot 206 car were involved in a collision just after 2pm.

TWO of the main routes in the county were brought to a standstill last night after pile-ups and traffic light failures.

The emergency services were first called to the A14 westbound after two articulated lorries and a Peugeot 206 car were involved in a collision just after 2pm.

The air ambulance was also dispatched to the crash, which was about half a mile before the exit to London between the A137 junction and the Copdock interchange.

Tailbacks built up on the westbound carriageway as police and fire crews dealt with the accident, which took six hours to be cleared.

A Suffolk police spokeswoman said drivers on the eastbound carriageway of the road also experienced delays as an ambulance was brought in from that direction to give treatment to the driver of the car, after not being able to get through the gridlock.

Fire crews took less than an hour to release an elderly man from the wreckage of his car.

He was then taken to Ipswich hospital by ambulance with injuries that were not believed to be life threatening, after complaining of pain in his shoulder and neck.

Less than an hour later a second accident on the A14 westbound only added more traffic chaos to the Copdock mill on the A12.

The crash involved a tractor and two lorries but no one was hurt.

The centre of Ipswich was also clogged up with vehicles after the traffic lights stopped working on the Handford Road and London Road junction.

An Ipswich Borough Council spokeswoman said the problem had been caused by a power surge in the area and engineers had been working to make them operational again by 6pm.

Meanwhile, at about 6.45pm two fire engines released a person from the wreckage of their car following a crash on the A14 westbound between Rougham and Bury St Edmunds. A police spokesman said they had only minor injuries.

And, just before 7.25pm an army lorry carrying a helicopter crashed into a ditch off the B1078 at Offton.

No-one was hurt in the accident but the road was closed while the heavy goods vehicle was recovered.

Colchester Operatic Society's production of Crazy For You had to be cancelled last night after leading man Paul Stone was stuck in traffic for several hours after the first lorry crash.

A mercy mission to collect the marooned performer by motorbike - intending to leave a pillion passenger in charge of Mr Stone's car - failed.

The motorcyclist, an off-duty policeman whose girlfriend is in the cast, was unable to get through to Mr Stone.

The society reluctantly decided to cancel the show due to the complexity of Mr Stone's singing and dancing role as playboy Bobby Child.

The Mercury Theatre will be contacting ticket-holders to offer them tickets to alternative performances.