North York Moors drivers stranded in heavy snow freed

Drivers who were stranded after heavy snow on the North York Moors have had their vehicles freed, police have said.

Vehicles were stuck on the A171 between Scarborough and Whitby and north of Whitby on Tuesday night.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said the road was now passable and all vehicles had been released by the early hours of Wednesday.

Mountain rescue teams assisted officers in helping travellers and snow ploughs were deployed.

North Yorkshire Police said they were still encountering some problems on the road due to continuing snowfall and urged motorists to exercise "extreme caution" on the routes.

About 15 schools in the county were closed on Wednesday.

The first vehicles got into difficulty on the A171 at about 1400 GMT on Tuesday and by 1800 GMT more than 100 vehicles were stuck.

All the affected drivers remained with their vehicles and there were no reports of any injuries.