SUFFOLK police are urging drivers to take care after a gritter lorry ended up on its side in a ditch and emergency services were sent to accidents on the A14 as ice caused havoc this morning.

Police have confirmed a gritter lorry skidded off the road just outside Little Waldingfield, in west Suffolk. A Suffolk County Council spokesman said the vehicle hit a patch of ice just after 1am when it was in the process of gritting the B115. The driver, who was not injured during the incident, called for a replacement vehicle to finish the run. Police arrived at the scene at 9.10am this morning and efforts to recover the lorry are expected to start shortly.

Suffolk County Council said 45 gritters had been sent out to cover about 3,300km of Suffolk’s roads and ensure that a layer of salt was on the county’s routes ahead of any snow falling.

Gritting teams have been put on 12-hour shifts for the next five days as forecasters predict more snow and low temperatures during the week.

A spokeswoman for Suffolk Police said there had been about 44 accidents on the roads since midnight last night up to 11.30am, looking at collisions and vehicles off the road.

Three vehicles crashed at 6.50am on the westbound A14 near Woolpit this morning.

Emergency services closed off one lane as a vehicle needed to be removed.

Police say the incident has now been dealt with and the road is clear.

An incident near the A14 exit for Rougham involved a people carrier which hit a barrier on the east-bound carriageway at 8.22am.

Police said several cars have skidded off the road in the area, but the carriageway is now clear.

Ambulance and fire crews were scrambled to the A143 near Horringer after a female driver was trapped in a grey Citroen C4 vehicle.

Police have confirmed the woman was rescued and did not sustain any injuries. The road was cleared at 9.50am.

Firefighters rescued another female driver trapped in a vehicle on the A1141 at 6.40am this morning. She was taken into ambulance care but was not injured.

Police were also called to a two-car incident at 7.47am on the A14 near Risby. Both cars skidded off the road into a lay-by, but the carriageway is now clear.

The A14 near Coddenham is now clear following a single-vehicle incident. The car was recovered shortly after reporting the incident at 7.23am.

Another single-vehicle accident was reported at 7.35am on the westbound A14 Westley Roundabout. Suffolk police said the car was quickly recovered.

At 8.25am emergency services were called to a two-vehicle collision on the A11 at Red Lodge, before the road was quickly cleared.

Police said no injuries have been reported so far this morning.

A spokesman for Suffolk police said: “We are warning all motorists to drive slow and take care on the roads.

“Drivers should leave plenty of distance between cars as the roads are hazardous this morning.”

Meanwhile, the Met Office said 9cm of snow fell over Ipswich overnight, and said isolated snow showers could hit the region later this afternoon.

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