Suffolk icy roads spark accident mayhem

EMERGENCY services are dealing with a spate of accidents on Suffolk's roads this morning as a result of the treacherous conditions.

And problems extend across the country with 40 people injured in two separate bus crashes in Gloucestershire.

Suffolk were called to deal with 32 crashes in the county in a period of just 12 hours with a number of cars over-turning on slippery roads this morning.

More than 40 people were injured - four of them seriously - after two buses came off the A40 in separate incidents in Gloucestershire.

One coach was carrying 30 service personnel near Cheltenham and a minibus was carrying 14 people near Gloucester.

Three people on the coach were critically injured and one person on the minibus suffered serious injuries.

Sub-zero temperatures overnight saw pools of water from yesterday's floods freeze over, causing hazardous conditions for motorists.

Six of the Suffolk accidents required medical attention, and a number are being reported this morning.

Inspector Graham Burch urged drivers to be careful and allow plenty of time for their journeys.

'Virtually all of them have been caused by the weather,' he said.

'Bear in mind we had a lot of water on the roads yesterday and a sharp frost last night, so there is inevitably going to be icy patches on the roads, especially on side roads.

'Drive carefully and make sure windscreens are clear before starting on journeys and check your lights to ensure the vehicle is in working order.'

The most serious of the collisions last night was at Haverhill, where a red Fiat Panda and a silver Ford Fiesta crashed on the A1307 on the outskirts of the town at 9.47pm.

The road was closed off for several hours and a 16-year-old boy, who was a passenger in one of the vehicles, was taken to Addenbrookes' Hospital, in Cambridge, with what were described as serious injuries. Two other people were also taken by ambulance for treatment of minor injuries.