A passenger has been airlifted to hospital and two others injured following a serious three-car crash on the A2.

The coastbound was shut for more than 15 hours near Bluewater shopping centre – between the B255 Bean Interchange and A2260 for Northfleet and Ebbsfleet – following the incident which happened about 10.40pm yesterday.

It was to allow police to carry out accident investigation work, but reopened at about 3pm.

Three cars were involved – a black Ford Fiesta, a blue Audi S3 and a blue MG HS.

A passenger in the Fiesta was airlifted to a London hospital with serious injuries. The driver and a second passenger were also treated for injuries which are not believed to be serious.

Inquiries are ongoing to locate the driver of the Audi and their passenger, as both were not at the scene when officers arrived.

They are both described as white, in their 20s, and were last seen walking away from the scene on foot. The man is described as being slim with short blonde hair and the woman is of medium build with shoulder length blonde hair.

Police, paramedics, firefighters and National Highways traffic officers all attended.

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The London-bound carriageway was also closed temporarily to allow an air ambulance to land.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service, which sent three engines to the scene, issued a warning to motorists to avoid the area due to heavy delays.

Kent Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) is investigating and urges anyone who witnessed the collision or has CCTV or dashcam footage to contact them.

You can call the SCIU appeals line on 01622 798538, quoting reference JW/LB/016/24 or email sciu.td@kent.pnn.police.uk. Evidence can also be submitted via the public portal here.