Police defend handling of delays on M25 Thurrock and QE2 bridge
- Published
Essex Police has defended its handling of a single-vehicle crash which left motorists stuck in queues for more than half a day.
A woman and a boy were taken to hospital following the collision on the QE2 bridge on Wednesday.
The police response has been criticised by some on social media who claim they took too long to clear the congestion.
The force rejected such criticism saying it "still has to respond to the usual daily demand".
The accident happened at 02:00 BST but some drivers told how the road was still blocked at 18:00.
On Facebook, Keith Davies said: "16 hours - sorry it (is) a joke. Pull your fingers out Essex Police".
On Twitter, others labelled the police response "poor", claiming it was "too little too late. Where were you all morning"?
However, others on social media voiced their support for the police, thanking them for supplying water to stranded motorists and pointing out that the bridge had been damaged in the collision.
A spokesman for the force said: "Resources were deployed to the incident. We will, of course, work with partners to establish what can be done differently. The matter will be reviewed with partners."
- Published17 August 2016
