Road accidents during big chill

Daniel Hill captured this picture of a frozen Basingstoke canal at Aldershot

Freezing temperatures and icy roads have caused "treacherous" driving conditions across Hampshire.

Police had reported 12 traffic incidents by 0900 GMT although no-one had been seriously injured.

The Cedar Special School in Southampton and Brookfield Community School in Sarisbury Green have both closed.

The BBC Weather Centre said snow and freezing rain were set to spread from northern England and Northern Ireland to the Midlands and south-east England.

Arctic air

The Cedar Special School closed due to heating problems while Brookfield Community School has sent home 1,750 pupils due to a power failure.

Police said conditions were particularly bad on the A3 between junctions two and three.

A van skidded off the M27 at Fareham and a BMW and a Volkswagen Lupo skidded off the M271 at Nursling. Both ended up in a ditch.

A woman was trapped in one of the vehicles before being freed by members of the public.

Hampshire police urged drivers to take care and leave extra space to the vehicle in front.

The current freezing conditions have been caused by Arctic air sweeping across Scandinavia and over the North Sea.