UNGRITTED roads in south west Essex led to dozens of car crashes and cases of drivers abandoning their vehicles following heavy snow yesterday.

Police revealed today there were a total of 50 crashes reported in the county in the space of just four hours yesterday evening, with the Epping Forest region one of the worst affected areas.

The East of England Ambulance service said it received 1,014 calls in Essex following the snowfall, which is more than a third of its daily average.

A police spokesman said the force had received 220 weather-related calls, including reports of the crashes and 15 calls about broken down cars.

He added: "The rest of the incidents involved youths causing a nuisance by throwing snowballs at pedestrians, vehicles or properties."

The emergency services are advising residents only to make "absolutely essential" journeys.

A spokeswoman said: "if you do go outside please wear suitable clothing and footwear to prevent slips and falls, and remember to check in on vulnerable or elderly members of family and neighbourhood to check they are well.

"There also has to be a common sense approach to using 999, and also the public can assist our response to incidents by looking out for emergency vehicles and pulling over sensibly and safely, and also if we are attending your house make sure the crews can find it easily."

The snow also saw the cancellation of last night's meeting of Epping Forest District Council's cabinet.