IT has been a tragic week for Salisbury motorists, after an eight-year-old boy and a pensioner lost their lives in separate accidents and another six people were seriously injured in a series of crashes.

Alderbury schoolboy George Collins died after a Renault Clio being driven by his father, Garry, collided with the back of a tanker carrying liquid nitrogen on the M271 near the Nursling interchange in Southampton.

The car spun out of control and veered across the carriageway before ploughing into the central reservation.

A passing lorry driver and other motorists attempted to rescue the pair but George, who was travelling in the front passenger seat, was found dead at the scene.

Firecrews used cutting equipment to free his father, who was taken to Southampton General Hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries.

The driver of the BOC tanker was unhurt and the smash did not cause its full load to spill on to the motorway.

The road remained closed for an hour, resulting in traffic chaos as an estimated 35,000 people attempted to reach the New Forest Show.

Lyndhurst Traffic Sergeant Graham Skinner is appealing for witnesses who saw the crash at 11.54 last Wednesday morning to contact the police.

"This collision is an absolute tragedy for the family concerned," he said.

"We need to find out what caused it.

"I appeal to anyone, especially drivers who were southbound at the time of the crash, to contact traffic police."

Anyone with information about the collision should call 0845 0454545.

Further tragedy occurred on Friday morning, when an elderly Shrewton woman died and her 75-year-old husband was critically injured, when their car was involved in a three-vehicle crash on the Devizes Road in Salisbury.

Retired school caretaker Winifred Lovelock (77) and her husband John, of Hindes Meadow, Shrewton, were travelling into Salisbury on the A360 when their car went out of control at the Fugglestone Red roundabout on the outskirts of the city.

The Ford Escort slewed broadside across the road and was involved in a collision with a Range Rover travelling in the opposite direction.

A Toyota Hi-Ace also travelling out of Salisbury then collided with the Range Rover.

All three emergency services rushed to the scene and the A360 was blocked for more than three hours.

Police have appealed for witnesses to the crash, which happened just before 11.15am on Friday.

The drivers of the Range Rover and Toyota were unhurt but received treatment for shock.

Mr Lovelock was taken to Salisbury district hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. His condition was later said to be stable.

An inquest into Mrs Lovelock's death was opened and adjourned on Tuesday.

A further crash happened on Friday afternoon when a car travelling on the A354 two miles outside Coombe Bissett veered out of control and struck a seven-and-a-half ton lorry.

The car, which had been travelling towards Salisbury, bounced off the truck and crashed into a taxi before coming to a standstill.

The lorry ploughed off the road and ended up in a field.

The car driver was released from the wreckage by paramedics and taken to hospital for treatment of non life-threatening injuries.

The lorry driver, the taxi driver and his passengers were also treated for shock.

There were two more accidents on country roads near Salisbury earlier in the week.

On Sunday two motorbikes, one carrying an 11-year-old girl, collided on the B3081 between Tollard Royal and Shaftesbury.

The child was unharmed but both bikers, one of whom lives in Salisbury, were taken to hospital with serious injuries.

And on Monday morning two men received treatment after a three-car crash near the Pheasant Hotel in Winterslow.