Police are advising peopleto only travel in South West England if “absolutely essential” after snow, ice and freezing weather conditions resulted in dozens of road accidents. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), a Government health agency, issued a level three cold alert on Monday (January 16) in response to “severe winter weather”.
Police in Cornwall have urged residents to stay at home after thick snow fell across county, leaving cars and lorries trapped and major roads blocked. And Avon and Somerset Police said early on Tuesday morning that they are advising the public to only travel if essential after the force received more than 100 reports of road-related incidents in five hours.
A total of 53 road traffic collisions were reported to police between 6pm and 11pm on Monday evening, with the majority being a result of the freezing weather causing dangerous driving conditions. The force said seven of the incidents were reported to have resulted in injuries but they are not thought to be serious. A further 67 calls were received for other road-related incidents.
