Gritter which slipped into snowy A682 ditch rescued by crane

A second gritter and several other vehicles were also stuck in the snow

A gritter which slipped off a snowy Lancashire road and into a ditch has been rescued by a crane.

The vehicle became stuck at about 04:00 GMT while spreading salt on the A682 in Blacko, near Nelson.

A snow plough was sent to clear a path through large snow drifts to the stranded vehicle, followed by the crane, which pulled it back on to the road at about 10:00.

The driver of the Lancashire County Council gritter was not injured.

A second gritter and several other vehicles were stuck behind the one which left the road.

Darren Reynolds, who lives nearby, said drivers "either abandoned their vehicles or stayed for six hours whilst the road was cleared".