Traders shut shop because of the ice (From Ledbury Reporter)

Traders shut shop because of the ice

1:10pm Friday 25th January 2013 in News

THE heavy snow caused chaos on county roads but accidents around Ledbury were minimal.

Police were called to four accidents on Friday after the first heavy snowfall but were then not called to any major weather-related incidents until the early hours of Wednesday morning as more heavy flurries fell over the county.

On Friday, police officers received calls about a broken-down lorry on the Gloucester Road at Parkway, just outside Ledbury; a two vehicle road traffic accident on The Southend, in Ledbury town centre; three lorries stuck in the snow on Ledbury bypass and a coach stuck on the A449 near British Camp.

Then, just after midnight on Wednesday morning, they were called to reports of cars getting stuck at the bottom of the notoriously tricky Frome’s Hill, near Ledbury, and to a lorry that had crashed on the A4103 near Storridge.

Herefordshire Council said 172 gritters were sent out between the early hours of Friday morning and Tuesday, with 861 tonnes of salt dropped.

The conditions took a greater toll on retail trade in Ledbury town centre however, with very slippery footpaths.

Steve Crowe, of Past and Present jewellery store, went to work as usual on Friday but, seeing the almost empty town centre, decided to get on with repairs while keeping the shop door closed.

But he said: “The snow affected trade quite badly.

It was very quiet, and the pavements were treacherous underfoot.”

John Nash of John Nash Antiques and Interiors in the High Street said: “Friday and Saturday were the worst days. The pavements were very icy then, and no one will come out on that.”

Mr Nash praised Herefordshire Council for gritting the town centre pavements on Monday, but he said that, on Tuesday, motorists were still generally avoiding St Katherine’s car park because of the ice.

On the New Mills estate and elsewhere in town there was fun to be had as many children enjoyed sledging and snowball fights in the streets, taking advantage of the snow.