UK Big Freeze: Icy Roads Push up Crash Toll

Snow fell in most parts of the country in the early hours of 10 February and severe weather warnings re-main in place for much of England.

"This is a developing situation and we would advise everyone to keep up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings so they are not caught out by the weather," said Martin Young, chief forecaster at the Met Office.

In Cumbria there were over 100 crashes in six hours as vehicles struggled to handle the treacherous driving conditions.

"All of the county's roads have been affected by ice and we are warning people to take care," said a Cumbria police spokesman.

"If your journey is not essential, then please do not drive. If you do have to travel, please take extreme care when driving, slow down and keep a sub-stantial braking distance from the car in front."

Lincolnshire was hit by 8cm of snow, the largest fall in the UK.

Some areas of the UK saw temperatures drop to as much as -7C, though that is warmer than the -12C the current cold snap has seen in parts.

The A470 in Wales was forced to close after two vehicles crashed because of the ice.

Heathrow Airport is running a normal schedule, though passengers are being advised to check flight information with airlines before travelling to the airport.

Gatwick Airport said it is not expecting any weather disruption this weekend, though passengers should check with their airlines.

Train operators said they are dealing with the bad weather. "Train companies are gearing up to deal with bad winter weather and will be working with Network Rail to run empty 'ghost' trains and de-icer units to keep tracks and overhead cables free of snow and ice as far as possible," said a spokesman for the Association of Train Operating Companies.

"The whole industry will be working hard to get people from A to B as quickly and reliably as possible."