Ice danger warning as cold snap is set to stay

Drivers were today warned of icy conditions on the Midlands' roads after a weekend of chaos triggered by heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures.

Cars were left stranded on roads, trains were delayed and Birmingham Airport closed its runway after six inches of snow fell on Saturday afternoon.

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Although much of the snow has now been washed away, ice was due to set in over the next few days, with the Met Office issuing a weather warning for the West Midlands ahead of severe cold weather, ice and freezing fog.

Highs of up to 6C (43F) are forecast as it warms up later today but will drop to -2C (30F) in parts of Staffordshire tonight and –4C across the region on Tuesday night.

The cold snap is expected to last until the weekend, the Met Office said today, although there is not exp-ected to be any more snow.

The downfall began on Saturday at 1pm and quickly covered the region's roads, which became snarled up despite gritters treating main routes.

The M54 was hit badly, with two crashes within minutes of each other bringing traffic to a standstill between junction two for Cannock and three for Wolverhampton. A cold weather alert was today in place across most of England.