Britain was today reeling from another blast of Siberian winter, with scores of roads closed, drivers trapped and a number of serious accidents reported.

Britain was today reeling from another blast of Siberian winter, with scores of roads closed, drivers trapped and a number of serious accidents reported.

The central belt of southern England took the overnight brunt of blizzards which left falls of over 18 inches in some places - with the first wave of snow hitting the Suffolk and Essex coasts in the early hours.

Hampshire, Berkshire and Surrey were worst affected, although the north of England had fresh snowfalls and a serious accident blocked the A1 in North Yorkshire.

Dozens of drivers were trapped in the cars for several hours on the normally busy A3 between Guildford and Portsmouth.

An elderly driver was killed at the height of the blizzard, at Titchfield, Hampshire.

Luton, Southampton and Birmingham airports were closed overnight but later re-opened.