TWO men were seriously injured in a head-on crash which closed a major New Forest road for more than four hours last night.

The accident happened near the New Forest Golf Club when a silver-coloured Rover 216 driven by a 29-year-old man from Lyndhurst collided with a silver-coloured Daewoo driven by a 25-year-old man from Spicers Hill, Totton.

Both men were trapped in their vehicles and had to be cut free by firefighters before being taken to Southampton General Hospital.

A police spokesman said the occupant of the Rover suffered life-threatening injuries in the impact. The other victim suffered chest injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening.

Emergency fire crews from Totton, Lyndhurst and St Mary's, Southampton, were called to the scene on the A35 between Lyndhurst and Ashurst at about 5.30pm following the crash.

It took crews some 30 minutes to free the drivers.

Police launched an investigation after the incident and closed part of the road for about four hours. Diversions had to be set up.