End of freezing weather in sight

The end of the cold snap that has affected the UK for days, causing road chaos across the east, is in sight, forecasters say.

Up to 200 vehicles were left stranded in drifting snow in East Yorkshire.

Fire crews and police spent six hours digging drivers out on the A1079 between Market Weighton and Beverley.

Kent police said there had been several accidents in the east of the county with the roads around Ashford, Canterbury and Dartford worst affected.

Snow across the UK turned to sleet and rain as warmer air moved in from the west. Scotland and Northern Ireland face ice and strong winds over Friday night, making temperatures low.

But by Saturday, temperatures across much of the UK will rise as high as 9C.

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The Highways Agency continued to urge motorists to check forecasts on Friday before setting out, amid predictions of strong winds and heavy rain.

Travellers in some parts are still being advised to re-route or postpone journeys until snow and ice is replaced by rain later in the day.

Rescue operation

Humberside police said snow on the A1079 at Arras Hill in East Yorkshire had started to bury up to 200 vehicles - including a bus and several lorries.

Officers in 4x4 vehicles reached stranded drivers and supplied them with hot drinks as the rescue operation was carried out.

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Elsewhere in East Yorkshire, a driver died when his van collided with a lorry on the A614 near Londesborough in what Humberside Police described as "appalling" conditions.

Earlier, a man died and two were hurt in a multi-vehicle crash on the A80 in North Lanarkshire.

Flights in and out of Newcastle International Airport were affected by the weather.

Two flights to Dublin and Belfast were cancelled and nine domestic and international services were delayed or diverted to Durham.

Network Rail said a power failure had caused delays on the west coast between Carlisle and Glasgow, but train services escaped major disruption.

Icy lakes

The dangers of playing on icy lakes and ponds was highlighted by police in Scotland, who ordered around 10 youngsters from a frozen boating pond in Dingwall, near Inverness.

A force spokesman said: "It cannot be stressed strongly enough the dangers of persons walking or playing on ice over an area of open water."

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Roger Vincent, of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said at least 20 people had died over the last decade after falling through ice over open water.

"With that figure in mind, it's madness to even test the thickness of ice with your toes," he said.

Temperatures in many parts of the country, including Nottingham, York and County Durham, remained below zero on Thursday.

In the West Midlands a man in his 40s is thought to have frozen to death.

Police said he was found by a passer-by in the doorway of West Bromwich Town Hall on Wednesday.

East Anglia, eastern Kent and East Sussex saw the worst conditions earlier in the week, with heavy snowfalls leaving some roads impassable and causing delays to train services.