SIX people were killed and one was left seriously injured in a horror crash on a motorway early today.

The accident happened on the M25 in Surrey when a recovery vehicle, which had a minibus on its rear, collided with a lorry.

Police said the accident happened between Leatherhead and Reigate at 2.15am.

The recovery vehicle was carrying passengers from the minibus and it is believed all of the victims had been in the cab of the rescue lorry.

Officers do not yet know the intended destination of the minibus or who it was carrying.

The stretch of motorway at the crash scene was expected to remain closed until this afternoon as accident investigators worked at the scene.

A Highways Agency spokeswoman said the anti-clockwise section of the road between junctions 10 and eight would remain closed while the vehicles are recovered.

The outside lane of the on the clockwise section of the motorway was also closed to avoid passing traffic slowing to view the wreckage.

Diversion are in place.

An ambulance service spokeswoman said all the victims had been travelling with the minibus.

After the smash a man was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

"It took over an hour to extricate him from the vehicle," the spokeswoman said.

"Paramedics were keeping him stable."

She said his injuries were "multiple and possibly life-threatening".

It is thought that all the victims were adults.