DRIVERS were left fuming after tolls at the Dartford Crossing were not lifted, despite tailbacks for more than three hours after a rush-hour crash.

News Shopper reported how all lanes from Essex to Kent were closed on Monday (JULY 8) after a van and motorbike collided on the QE2 bridge at about 6pm – meaning motorists were left stranded in sizzling temperatures of up to 24 degrees.

But the tolls were not lifted to clear the backlog.

Traffic in Kent also stretched for miles as far back as Junction 3 at the Swanley Interchange when one of the tunnels was used for southbound traffic that would normally use the bridge.

One driver said: "To sit in miles and miles of tailbacks and then see the tolls still in operation and adding to the misery is beyond madness.

"I told the toll operator I thought it was crazy and he agreed. I moved a mile in one hour and yet the tolls were still in operation – it’s just greed."

The Highways Agency suspends charges at the crossing when traffic reaches back to Junction 28 of the M25, the turn-off for the A12, and is travelling at less than 10mph.

Spokesman Andrew Broughton said: "The criteria set out have been approved by ministers.

"Traffic is always monitored, and if the target point is reached, the tolls are opened and charges suspended straight away.

"We sometimes get stop-and-start traffic, such as on Monday, when pockets were moving."

The latest hold-up came as fears were raised that plans to introduce a cashless toll system could cost millions in unpaid charges.

Barriers are set to be removed from October next year and motorists will be charged through number-plate recognition cameras.

Natalie Chapman, of the Freight Transport Association, said a similar system used for the London congestion charge was already causing problems with unpaid fees.

She said: "I think the situation is going to be far worse for the Highways Agency, potentially, given the very high volumes of foreign-registered vehicles using its networks."

The Highways Agency said it was working on systems to detect foreign vehicles and a European debt recovery agency could be used.