New warnings after Cornwall hit by snow

Ch Insp Dean Drury from Devon and Cornwall Police urged drivers not to drive if they did not need to

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for ice after Cornwall experienced a day of disruption caused by significant snowfall.

It also warned Storm Bert was set to bring heavy rain and strong winds to parts of both Devon and Cornwall at the weekend.

The yellow warning for ice is in force for parts of Devon and Cornwall until 10:00 GMT on Friday, with another alert for wind and rain in place on Saturday and Sunday.

Cornwall Council's road firm Cormac said road surface temperatures were expected to fall below -0.4C overnight and gritters would be treating "all precautionary routes" until 03:00 on Friday.

Snow covered the A395 from Launceston to Otterham

Devon and Cornwall Police warned drivers to watch for abandoned cars and to only travel if it is "absolutely necessary".

"Some vehicles on minor untreated roads are still in situ," said Ch Insp Dean Drury.

He said officers and other agencies had "worked tirelessly" to keep roads open.

Drivers should expect icy patches as temperatures dip, he added.

"If you don't need to drive, don't," he said.

'Lorries blocked'

The snow caused disruption to schools, businesses and roads from early in the morning.

Cornwall Council confirmed 67 schools had either closed or partially closed because of the weather.

Meanwhile, officers said they attended numerous crashes on the region's roads, with the A30 blocked for hours.

A motorist who was stuck in her car for about seven hours said officers helped dig cars out of the snow and ensured gritters were able to bypass traffic.

Lucie Liddell, who was stranded near Bodmin on the A30, said: "It took us until 12:00 GMT to get home and I got there at 05:15, it was a long day.

"When we left the A30 we had to drive very slowly.

"There were still lorries blocked the entire way down the A30 that couldn't leave."

Police warned drivers tonight to expect icy patches as temperatures dip

BBC South West senior broadcast meteorologist David Braine said the snow had been heavier and more widespread than forecast.

"The Met Office has extended the area covered by the snow warning and increased the forecast amount to 10-15cm," he said.