Motorist nightmare on the A417 (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Motorist nightmare on the A417

HUNDREDS of motorists were left stranded on Monday evening after snow storms hit the Cotswolds.

Sudden blizzards caught council officers unawares and main roads throughout the district were blocked by stricken vehicles.

Gritters and police cars sent to assist also became caught in the melee as many drivers abandoned their cars rather than spend the night in the cold.

Some of the worst problems occurred on the A417 between Cirencester and Gloucester where several lorries slid off slippery roads.

The A419 between Cirencester and Stroud was also particularly treacherous and parts of it remained closed on Tuesday morning.

Pubs along the blocked roads reported a roaring trade as more people left their cars, but one landlord hit out at the Highways Authority for not doing enough to keep the roads clear.

David Morgan, who runs the Golden Heart at Nettleton, said conditions outside his pub were difficult all night.

He said: "I don't know how unexpected it all was. There didn't seem to be enough grit put down. Why does it have to keep happening?

"It's the volume of traffic that uses the road, you would think as it is a major route it would be kept open.

"We will have to wait and see what happens after Christmas, this might not be the last time it happens."

A spokesman for Gloucestershire County Council said gritter lorries had been out in anticipation of the storms, but the amount of snow took officers by surprise.

She said: "The snow was much heavier than forecast and this led to hazardous driving conditions. Many vehicles were abandoned on the roadside which made it difficult for the gritting lorries to salt the roads.

GCC highways officers worked with the police to try to remove abandoned vehicles."

Alan Powderhill, duty manager at Cotswold Leisure Centre, was caught up in the main jam on the A417 for more than four hours.

He said: "I got onto the road at Cirencester at 6.30pm and got to the Nettleton roundabout at 11pm. It was just solid, the traffic didn't move so I was just sat there.

"The police and gritters couldn't get onto the road so no one was directing traffic."

Coach passengers were also left stranded on Tuesday morning after police advised National Express to cancel several services.

Cirencester, Stroud, Chalford, Charlton Kings and Cricklade were all affected by the cancellations.

Stratton resident Andrew Shepherd, 26, was travelling from Cirencester to London on the 8.45am coach. It was cancelled and he was forced to travel by train.

He said: "We all stood there for half an hour with no warning - you would have thought they would send a representative down and tell us they had cancelled the service, but I had to call them myself. It was just really annoying."

A National Express spokesman said the company sometimes sends representatives to a problem area when possible and apologised for the delays.

Joy Williams said: "On every ticket we provide a 24-hour helpline number because we don't have staff at every location."

No train delays or cancellations were reported on Tuesday, although a spokesman for train operators First Great Western said there was a possibility more people would choose to travel by train this week rather than risk using the roads.

Police spokesman Matt Ford said: "The severe weather conditions that affected the county on Monday caused widespread delays for many road users.

"The problems caused by the icy conditions were exacerbated by the fact that some motorists caught in the snow abandoned their vehicles.

"The majority of vehicles have now been recovered by their owners and all major routes through the Cotswolds have been reopened.

"During the winter months motorists should pay close attention to traffic and weather reports before and during their journey.

"In bad weather drivers should allow themselves extra time to complete their journey safely.

"If weather of the kind seen on Monday is forecast, motorists should seriously consider postponing their trip."

St John Ambulance Gloucestershire also rallied to reach people needing urgent medical help during the heavy snowstorms.

Two ambulance crews, using four-wheel drive vehicles, helped the county's ambulance service by accessing people in areas unreachable by normal road vehicles and ferrying people to hospital - including a woman in labour.

The woman, from Dursley, was eventually taken to Stroud Maternity Hospital where she gave birth to a baby boy.

Refuse collections across the Cotswolds have also been affected by the adverse conditions. Cotswold District Council is now advising people to leave their rubbish bags and recycling boxes out and collections will catch up this week.