Police warned drivers to take extra care and pay attention to road and weather conditions on their journeys today.

Head of Roads Policing for Thames Valley Police, Supt Rob Povey, said: “There have already been a number of collisions this morning, particularly in the Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire areas, and I would urge drivers to take appropriate measures to keep themselves and other road users safe.

“Temperatures overnight have been as low as -8 degrees, so a lot of the snow and surface water has turned to ice.

"A lot of this is now black ice, but people are driving as if the roads are back to normal. I would therefore urge people to be very careful during their journeys.

“Make sure you leave plenty of room between you and the car in front, slow down and be particularly careful on bends and approaching junctions.

"Also take a little extra time before starting your journey to clear all of the windows. Some people unfortunately have decided to drive with a partially frozen windscreen and their visibility is severely restricted.”