Weather warning over icy roads

INJURIES caused by icy weather conditions look set to spoil Christmas for hundreds of people, as sub-zero temperatures continue to cause "treacherous" conditions for both drivers and pedestrians in the Westcountry.

Hospitals have been besieged by patients with fractures and sprains as emergency and breakdown services worked flat out answering extra calls from stranded motorists.

The conditions were expected to be at their most treacherous overnight, as snow was forecast on higher grounds and surface water was expected to freeze over once again on roads and pavements.

Last night, Met Office forecaster Andy Bodenham said the Westcountry was widely expected to have a dry Christmas – but said it was possible a snowy weather front could move in from France.

He said showers moving in across West Cornwall over the course of today would exacerbate problems, with a mixture of rain and sleet. "Any roads and pavements that have not been gritted will be extremely treacherous after an overnight freeze. It should get a few degrees warmer over the coming days, but travelling at night or in the morning will still be dangerous."

The South Western Ambulance Service yesterday reported that the number of falls in Plymouth had doubled over the weekend. Saturday and Sunday saw 80 call-outs for falls, compared with 40 the weekend before, although not all falls were the result of the weather.

An ambulance was among the many vehicles trapped on ice on rural roads yesterday morning.

A fire crew helped paramedics drive safely down an icy hill to respond to an incident at Hennock, near Bovey Tracey, Devon, at about 7.15am.

In Tiverton, a burst water main caused chaos as it froze over, and at nearby East Anstey, a child was airlifted to hospital after a crash on the B3227, at 10.30am yesterday. A female occupant had to be cut free from the vehicle by firefighters, but both casualties escaped with whiplash and bruising.

In Ilfracombe, North Devon, a 16-year-old moped rider from Combe Martin was left with a dislocated shoulder and broken leg after a collision with a car.

And in Plymouth, specialist fire rescue vehicles winched two cars to safety after they became stuck on an icy hill at Mowhay Road North, Weston Mill.

In Cornwall and Devon, the fire and rescue services renewed advice to householders to ensure their chimneys were properly maintained after six separate blazes across the two counties, as people light open fires to tackle the cold weather.

On the roads, the RAC said it had been bombarded with calls, with the number of pleas for help well over a third above what it predicted. Nationwide, the service received more than 8,700 calls by yesterday afternoon.

A spokesman said the huge volume meant operators had to prioritise, with those who were broken down or in danger taking precedence over those who were stuck in snow. Meanwhile, icy pavements proved hazardous for pedestrians.

On Sunday alone, the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital accident and emergency department treated 276 patients, of which 53 were fractures from falls. There were also 11 fractures among the 219 treated on Saturday.

An RD&E spokesman said: "The age group of patients most affected was 18 to 64, but there were also 14 patients aged over 64. In the majority of cases, the patients were treated and won't be in hospital over the Christmas holiday."

Motorists have been warned to take extra care on the icy roads. Most minor roads will not be gritted and conditions have been described as hazardous.

Gritters have been out in force in Devon and Cornwall – but councils warned they would service only 20 per cent of the region's roads, targeting the busiest routes.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: "With a mixture of snow, rain and ice, conditions on the county's roads will be very difficult and motorists must take care, even on roads that have been salted.

"We are doing everything we can to keep roads as passable and safe as reasonably possible but unfortunately, there is no way that we could get to every road in the county because of the vast size of Devon's road network.

"So drivers need to be aware that ice could be a problem in some areas."