Road reopened after fatal crash

The vehicles will be examined for clues

A road has reopened after six people were killed in a crash between a car and a lorry in Leicestershire.

A Ford Mondeo and the lorry collided on the A607 between Kirby Bellars and Melton Mowbray at about 0155 BST.

The Mondeo's driver was confirmed as a 23-year-old local man. The passengers were two men aged 18 and 19, a woman, 18, and two 19-year-old women.

The lorry driver, 48, from Melton Mowbray, was taken to hospital with chest injuries.

The bodies and vehicles were removed from the scene at about 1600 BST. The road reopened at 1840 BST.

The lorry driver, who works for a firm at Grantham, Lincolnshire, was initially arrested in connection with the incident but has now been released. Police said there would be no further action.

Sgt Simon Adkin, of Leicestershire Police, said: "We are still trying to establish their identities, but it is believed the six young people were from the Leicester area.

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"A full investigation is taking place but the road is expected to be closed most of the day."

Officers were called to the scene about one mile (1.6km) south of Melton town centre at 0154 BST.

The car was travelling along the A607 towards Leicester when the accident took place.

Emergency crews were unable to remove the bodies during the morning but ambulances left the scene at about 1600 BST. The vehicles were moved from the road soon after.

Joy Catlin, 47, who lives in the nearby village of Asfordby and can see the Kirby Bellars stretch of the A607 from her house, said: "There are a number of really bad bends along that road.

"If you don't know the road well, it's difficult to drive. There's an S-bend, followed by another bend - it's really bad."