Dozen vehicles stranded in drifts at Edgworth (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Dozen vehicles stranded in drifts at Edgworth

6:16pm Wednesday 13th January 2010 in

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SNOWPLOUGHS were among more than a dozen vehicles caught in 5ft-high snowdrifts.

Gusting winds measuring 30mph blew snow off surrounding moors on to roads at Edgworth.

Police in 4x4 vehicles spent several hours last night and again this morning trying to clear the roads and Inspector Gary Crowe said several vehicles had to be rescued after ignoring ‘road closed’ signs.

Insp Crowe said: “It was not fresh snow that caused the drifts, but the freak weather conditions.

“Our officers had to pull and push 12 vehicles out of the drifts and we also had to rescue council snowploughs, which got stuck.”

Insp Crowe said roads including the Grane Road, Blacksnape Road, Broadhead Road/Jackson Heights Road and roads close to the Grey Mare pub on Elton Road, Belthorn, became ‘impassable’ due to drifts almost as high as the cars.

“Despite the road closed signs being out, people still thought they could get through and moved the signs out of the way.”

Sergeant Pete Sculpher of the Road Policing Unit said a JCB was scrambled to rescue snowploughs caught in the drifts.

“A number of people in 17 vehicles had to be dug out or pushed back to lower lying areas.

"Some had ignored the signs, others were ill-equipped and not looking far enough in advance for the conditions.”