DRIVERS faced traffic chaos in Worcester and Malvern yesterday as visitors flocked to the Spring Garden Show.

At one point, the roads leading to the show at the Three Counties Showground were so congested motorists were prevented from getting on or off the M5 at junction seven, Worcester South, for more than an hour.

Rising temperatures have led to an exceptionally high number of people visiting this year's show.

Organisers predict visitors numbers could top 90,000 by the time the show closes on Sunday.

A showground spokeswoman could not confirm how many attended yesterday but said: "It was a really good day with lots of people here."

John Kelly, who found himself trapped as he drove from Droitwich to Worcester, said: "The route to Malvern from Whittington was totally congested and the A44 and the island at junction seven was also congested.

"The queue was tailed back from the island at junction seven onto the motorway and there was a longish queue on the first lane going south.

"As I arrived at around 10am they closed the exit lane so I had to continue down to the M50 junction at Strensham."

He added: "It was congested approaching Malvern from the opposite direction because I tried to come up the A38 but had to give up."

A Highways Agency spokeswoman said: "Junction seven southbound was closed due to congestion on local roads for the Malvern Spring Garden show.

"It was causing traffic to come to a standstill on the slip road and back onto the motorway.

"The junction was reopened at 11.16am."

6:20pm Friday 9th May 2008

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