ROSS PARRY SYNDICATION: Twelve men have been hospitalised after a minibus driving them home from a stag do crashed on the motorway.

The group, aged in their 20s and 30s, had been on the bus when it overturned on a grass verge at the side of the M1 southbound, just before the M62 junction at Lofthouse, near to Wakefield, West Yorks., on Sunday.

All the occupants are believed to have been from the Rochdale area. It is thought that the group had been returning from a stag party.

Two of the casualties were last night in a critical condition, five had serious injuries and five suffered minor injuries. Duty Inspector Steve Reed of West Yorkshire Police said last night that none of the injuries were "at this stage" being treated as life threatening.

The crash was reported shortly before 2pm and the fire, ambulance, police and air ambulance services all raced to the scene.

A police spokeswoman said that one lane on the southbound carriageway of the M1 was closed following the accident but reopened shortly before 4.30pm