Gritting lorry overturns as icy night expected

The A382 has been blocked after a gritting lorry overturned near Moretonhampstead and Lustleigh

A gritting lorry has blocked a road after overturning while heading out ahead of expected wintry weather conditions.

The crash happened on the A382 near Moretonhampstead and Lustleigh on Dartmoor at about 15:20 GMT with a road closure set up while emergency services deal with the incident.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the driver of the lorry is believed to have sustained minor injuries and motorists have been asked to avoid the area.

Councils across Devon and Cornwall have sent gritters out to prepare roads for snow and ice which have been forecast and led to a Met Office weather warning which is active until 23:59 on Thursday.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the driver is believed to have sustained minor injuries

In its warning, the Met Office said snowfall was possible in places, especially "overnight and/or farther inland away from the immediate windward coast".

It said accumulations of 2-5cm (0.8-1.9 inches) were possible while some places might get up to 10cm (3.9 inches) of snow.

Devon County Council said it had sent gritters out during the afternoon and would do so again during the night as road surface temperatures were forecast to fall below 0C (32F).

"Please take extra care when travelling and ensure you have prepared for any delays," the council said.

Plymouth City Council said its gritting lorries were heading out during the evening and would be on standby should they need to go out again.

Cornwall Council contractor Cormac said its gritter drivers had gone out at 15:00 and would head out again at 03:00 on Thursday.

Severe weather emergency protocol has been activated for two nights by Torbay Council with the authority saying additional accommodation for homeless people had been set up.

A council spokesperson said: "If you see someone sleeping rough, please report this to StreetLink via our website and we will take action to protect them."