More chaos as big freeze continues
The freezing weather brought widespread chaos as heavy snow created treacherous driving conditions and caused a number of sporting events to be cancelled.
One motorist was killed in a crash on the M55 motorway near Blackpool and a handful of 3rd round FA Cup ties were called off.
The transport network suffered under the strain of the big freeze as a number of rail lines were closed in Scotland and more than 40 bumps and crashes were recorded on the roads.
An army of gritters are working around the clock to keep the carriageways clear but there seems no end in sight to the plunging temperatures with freezing Arctic conditions expected to last for the foreseeable future. Northern England was deluged with up to 2.4in of snow, with heavy falls occurring in eastern Scotland.
Motorists were warned of hazardous driving conditions as many people headed home after the long Christmas break.
Lancashire Police said a male passenger in a Citroen car died in a crash on the westbound section of the M55 near Blackpool at around 8am on Saturday. The adverse weather conditions could not be ruled out as a cause of the accident, said police.
In East Sussex, a teenage driver and a female passenger were seriously injured when their car hit a patch of ice and crashed into a tree on a country road. In a separate incident, a 78-year-old woman suffered serious injuries after being hit by a single decker bus on the A26 Eridge Road in Eridge, East Sussex.
A third teenager was also hurt when the black Peugeot 207 veered off the A26 at Boarshead, between Crowborough and Eridge, just before 11pm on Friday.
Six vehicles crashed in Greater Manchester on the M6 near Orrell, causing long delays. Poor driving conditions were reported on the M60, M602 and the M66. Snake Pass, which runs between Manchester and Sheffield, was also closed.
A Highways Agency spokesman said: "The very cold, wintry weather is making driving conditions difficult, particularly in the North West of England and we are focusing on keeping our network flowing as much as possible during this severe weather. Our winter fleet has been working flat out and will continue to treat the network as long as the cold weather continues. Our advice to drivers is to drive according to the conditions and that even when roads are treated they should still be negotiated with care."
