Snowy scenes across the west of the county. Sledgers a plenty on the hill near West Suffolk College.

MOTORISTS were heeding the advice of police today by staying at home and not venturing out as Suffolk and Essex was covered in a blanket of snow.

Snow in Bury St Edmunds

Overnight there were reports of people being stranded on the M25 with the worst parts being hit in Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey.

Sections of the motorway were closed and there were reports of some motorists being stranded for over seven hours.

But by 8am it had repoened to traffic.

In Suffolk there were 80 incidents reported overnight between 10pm last night and noon today but none were serious and were mainly minor shunts with no reported injuries as vehicles slid off roads.

Snowy scenes across the west of the county. Difficult driving conditions on the A14 at Risby.

Inspector Matthew Rose, at Suffolk Police, said the worst hit spots were on the A12 at Stratford, an unclassified road in Sutton and the A134 at Nayland, where officers and council gritting teams were called to help motorists after the routes became unpassable and cars had become stuck.

Just before 10am a car hit the central reservation of the A14 at the Wherstead interchange, near Ipswich, but there were no reports of any injuries. The road was cleared 40 minutes later.

And at 11.50am a car ended up in a ditch off the A140 at Stonham Parva and police were on the scene dealing with the incident.

In Essex the A12 was shut, at 9am, in both directions following an accident when a lorry collided with a long stretch of the central barrier on the London-bound carriageway, at the underpass near Shenfield.

The lorry spilled diesel and caused damage to the barrier, affecting the other carriageway and police and Highways Agency were on scene and dealing with the incident. By noon the truck was being recovered but the road remained closed.

It affected the A12 at junction 12, Shenfield, and the Colchester-bound carriageway was also closed for repair work to be carried out to the central reservation.

Essex Police advised motorists to plan an alternate route.

Helen Cook, the Essex force’s press officer, said police are advising motorists to avoid any unnecessary journeys.

She added: “No other major problems have been reported but those who have to drive are advised to take extreme care. There are a few abandoned cars but the main routes are moving, albeit with only one track through the snow.

“Make sure your windscreen and windows are clear before you set off, have a shovel, warm clothing, flask with a hot drink and fully charged mobile phone if you are embarking on a longer journey.

In Suffolk Insp Rose also advised that people only make essential journeys and if they did need to go out to take great care.

He said: “Hopefully people are heeding our advice to avoid non essential travel.

“But if you do need to go out make sure you clear the snow off your vehicle and that your lights are visible, allow extra time to travel, wear warm clothing and take a mobile phone.”

Meanwhile, the East Of England Ambulance Service received 1,229 calls between 11pm and 9am including 19 road traffic realated incidents, which they said was a little higher than a normal weekend overnight. They included six in Hertfordshire, four in Norfolk, three in Suffolk two in Cambridgeshire, three in Essex and one in Bedfordshire.

Four patients were taken to hospital following exposure to the cold.

They were two women in their mid 20s in Southend, at about 4.45am; a man aged 19 in Great Colman Street, Ipswich, at about 12.50am; a man (unknown age) in Queen Street, Colchester, at 1.13am; and a man, aged about 40 walking in Edinburgh Way, Harlow, at about 2.50am.

Suffolk County Council’s gritting teams are out again today treating the county’s A and B roads followed by bus and commuter routes. It follows an night of gritting A roads.

Overnight, snow fall was heaviest in western and central parts of Suffolk, with significant drifting in exposed areas, so the county council mobilised local farmers to help clear roads in rural areas. The county has some further resources moving into larger town centres.

All of Suffolk’s main A roads remain passable but motorists are being warned to proceed with care.

The authority opened all its 11 household waste recycling centres at 11am today and will stay open until 4pm. Due to difficult driving conditions, customers are being asked to use the sites only if necessary.

Meanwhile, the community recycling centres in Newmarket, Southwold and Chelmodiston are closed today. The sites in Beccles, Bramford and Brome are open and will close at 4pm.

If any palns are made to close schools tommorrow its dedicated website will be updated at http://schoolclosures.suffolk.gov.uk/

Weather forecasters said that between two and four inches of snow had fallen overnight with Felixstowe being the last place to get hit.

The temperature had fallen to minus 3 degrees at Wattisham and in Bury St Edmunds to minus 1 and 2.

The odd flake of snow was due to fall throughout the day but no heavy falls were predicted.

It was set to be cloudy, cold and misty for the rest of today with a slight thaw due to set in this afternoon.

However, the temperatures were then set to plummet overnight to as much as minus 6 in some places with sheet ice being particularly dangerous.

While the roads were relatively quiet people were not missing the chance to venture out for a bit of fun in the snow with any slope they could find being used for newly bought and make-shift sledges.