MOTORISTS faced severe delays after several crashes across East Lancashire earlier this evening.

An accident on the A56 bypass close to Huncoat saw it closed both northbound and southbound from the Rising Bridge roundabout to the M65.

A spokesman for the North West Motorway Police said the closure was forced following a 'number of incidents and bad weather', and urged motorists to find an alternative route.

"There's heavy snowfall in the area. The road is being re-treated," he added.

The southbound carriageway was reopened at around 8.25pm, although it remained closed northbound to allow accident investigation work to be carried out until around 9.15pm.

All three lanes of the M65 motorway were also closed just past Whitebirk towards Burnley after a car hit the central reservation.

It was reopened at around 7.55pm after the car was moved onto the hard shoulder, although drivers were warned of further delays while traffic returns to normal.

And in School Lane, Cliviger, a motorist escaped harm after their car overturned at around 7.45pm.

The Hyundai Getz rolled onto its roof after skidding on ice and was hit from behind by a motorist in a Volkswagon Golf.

The fire service was called to the scene but were not needed, and the road was not closed.

A police spokesman said: "There was a bit of hailstone which then, because of the low temperature, froze.

"The ice seems to have broken up now, but there was a brief period where we had several accidents within a short space of time."

A spokesman for the Highways Agency said gritters had carried out 'intense winter treatment' on the M65 and the A56 at 9am and 2pm this morning, and had been due to return at 11pm, on top of 'ad-hoc' treatments.

A gritter was sent to the A56 following the earlier crashes, he said, following a 'flurry of snow and hail'.

More to follow.