SNOW and ice brought East Lancashire's road to a standstill as drivers battled arctic conditions to get home.

Journeys which should have taken 20 minutes took drivers up to three hours as main routes in Blackburn, such as the Preston Old Road, Preston New Road, A666 and Accrington Road, ground to a halt.

Today Blackburn with Darwen Council - where the problems were worst - was accused of being "caught with its pants down" over gritting for the second time in just over a year.

Opposition councillors called for an inquiry but the authority said it had been gritting all day and the delays were caused by a combination of careful driving and the evening rush hour.

On many main roads across East Lancashire, the afternoon snow gave way to black ice.

Problems were compounded at 7pm - three hours after it started to snow - when police shut the M65 between junctions five and six to let gritters and snowploughs through.

By 9pm, police were urging drivers to keep off the M65 as drivers abandoned cars and left them littering the hard shoulder.

Accrington's Road Traffic Unit reported being busy with accidents across East Lancashire, particularly in the Ribble Valley.

The M66 at Summerseat was also shut for part of last night to allow gritters through.

Even today, large stretches of the M65 remained treacherous with uncleared snow covering at least one lane.

Police said the Mill Hill, Whitebirk and Earcroft areas of Blackburn were worse hit.

This morning the M65 was restricted to 30mph.

A spokesman for the Highways Agency said they were looking into last night's events on the motorways. Claire Price of the AA said East Lancashire had been "caught out."

Police Inspector Steve Chapman said: "Gritting was on-going all night although drivers were advised not to use the motorway." A county council spokesman said: "At lunchtime we received a forecast which said to expect snow in the east of the county. We were out gritting constantly and did so all night."

Blackburn with Darwen's executive member for regeneration, Coun Andy Kay, said: "We were out gritting all day. I think the delays were more to do with people taking it easy than anything else.

"That along with rush hour slowed things up."

But Coun Paul Browne, leader of the Lib Dems, said the council "had been caught with its pants down again."

Over Christmas in 2001, a similar scenario unfolded, with roads quickly gridlocked as a dusting of snow turned into ice.

An inquiry by backbench councillors called for more resources to be pumped into gritting, a demand rejected by ruling councillors who said it would cost too much and would not be cost effective.

The forecast today was for cloud cover and snow showers, with a high of 2C, and a low after dark of freezing.

Sgt Stuart Isherwood from Accrington's road traffic unit, said: "We have no problems with the gritters because they have to prioritise and do the main routes first.

"That leaves a lot of smaller roads untreated and in those circumstances we just ask people to take extra care."