Motorists stranded in heavy snow

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/devon/8454406.stm

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Blizzards have led to thousands of motorists being stranded in parts of Devon as wintry weather continues to cause chaos across the county.

Telegraph Hill on the A380 and the A38 at Haldon Hill were both closed, leading to miles of queues.

Police have urged motorists stuck on the two hills to stay in their vehicles until officers can get to them.

A number of emergency rest centres, including one at Exeter Racecourse, have been set up for stranded drivers.

Drifts expected

The snow also affected air travel and led to a number of flights in and out of Plymouth Airport being cancelled.

The Met Office earlier issued a severe weather warning for the south west with predictions that a band of snow and wintry showers would sweep across the region.

Between 3cm (1in) and 10cm (4in) of snow was predicted for parts of Devon, with strong winds expected to cause drifts of up to 15cm (6in) on Dartmoor.

As a result gritting lorries were dispatched in the early hours to salt all major road surfaces across the county.