Emergency services in Wiltshire pushed to limit

Early this morning the blizzard conditions got the better of the gritters.

THe A3102 was closed from John Bently School in Calne right through to Bromham.

A420 Chippenham A420 Chippenham towards Ford was not passable due to road conditions.

Salthrop Hill Swindon Due is still closed because of the weather conditions. It will be closed until further notice as it is too dangerous to pass.

The A350 Northbound Lacock-Beanacre Road is now open to traffic after traffic collision at location earlier but is single lane only. Police are warning drivers to only travel if they have to.

Inspector Rod Stacey-Marks at police headquarters in Devizes said: “Across the county we’re receiving numerous reports of treacherous conditions on the roads.

“We’ve got lorries stuck on hills on main routes through the county and there’s reports of black ice as well as snow.

“The advice we’re putting out to people is to consider is your journey really necessary?

“Obviously most people have to get to work or get home from work and we’re suggesting that people could phone their work places to see if perhaps they could go in later.

“If people are at work at the moment they should consider delaying their journey home because the weather forecast indicates that temperatures are likely to rise later and rain should be replacing the snow.

“We’re also asking people to drive to the prevailing conditions by reducing their speed and keeping their distance, and remember if you break on ice it can take ten to 15 times further to stop than on a normal road surface.”

Jack-knifed lorries have caused a problem across the county.

Great Western Ambulance Service is urging people to take extra care on foot and when driving as the second wave of heavy snow hits the region.

GWAS has seen increases in traffic accidents and falls due to snowfall and icy roads and paths throughout this week. However, freezing temperatures on Wednesday night, followed by up to 30cm more snow on Thursday and Friday are likely to result in more hazardous conditions.

GWAS itself began preparing for the severe weather two days before it arrived. The Trust has implemented its contingency plans and is fully in command of its assets including many 4x4 vehicles – ambulances and rapid response cars – positioned at ambulance stations across the Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire sectors.

These 4x4 vehicles have been loaned by St John Ambulance and the Red Cross, who are also providing volunteers, to ensure a full ambulance service is maintained across the region.

Additional vehicles have been loaned by Gloucester and Wessex 4x4 Response Associations to transport GWAS staff unable to reach their base ambulance stations from home.

Anthony Marsh, Chief Executive of GWAS, said: “This week’s adverse weather has been a superb example of the NHS, emergency services and voluntary sector working together. By doing so, it has meant our staff have been able to continue responding to 999 emergencies and delivering excellent patient care.

“So far, we have not had to deal with significantly higher numbers of 999 calls – but more calls have been for incidents such as traffic collisions and falls. The weather forecast for the next few days suggests more of those incidents are likely – so I would urge people firstly to ask themselves if their journey is really necessary and, if it is, to take extra care whether they are driving or on foot.

“Given the potential increased demands on our staff over the next few days, I would also remind the public only to dial 999 for life-threatening emergencies. This will allow us to focus resources on those patients who genuinely need an ambulance response.”

For anyone wanting to access medical help for something other than a life-threatening emergency, NHS Direct is a 24-hour service providing a wide range of advice and information about many conditions. They can be contacted on 0845 4647 or via the link on the right.

Box library will not be open today and neither Chippenham nor Devizes mobile libraries have gone out.

Melksham library will be closed for an hour between 1pm and 2pm today.

All other libraries are currently open as normal but will continue to review the situation throughout the day.

The Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre at Chippenham is also closed today.

Day centres for people with learning disabilities in Marlborough, Chippenham and Trowbridge are closed today. Services in Devizes, Salisbury and Amesbury have small numbers of staff, but may have to close early if the weather deteriorates.

Schools closed today include: Abbeyfield School Avon Valley College Bishops Cannings Primary School Bowerhill Primary School Bradford on Avon Christchurch Bradon Forest School Bratton Primary School Brinkworth Earl Danby's Broad Town Primary School By Brook Valley Primary School Charter Primary Cherhill Primary Chilmark & Fonthill Bishop Primary Chilton Foliat Primary School Christian Malford Primary School Churchfields, The Village School Clarendon Infants Clarendon Juniors, Tidworth Collingbourne Primary Corsham Primary School Corsham Regis Primary School Dauntsey's Aided Primary School Devizes School Dilton Marsh Primary School Downland School Easton Royal Primary Fitzmaurice Primary School Forest and Sandridge Fynamore Primary School Great Bedwyn Primary Grove Primary School Hardenhuish Heddington Primary School Hilmarton Primary School Holbrook Primary School Holy Trinity, Calne Horningsham Primary Hullavington Primary Ivy Lane Primary Keevil Primary School Kennet Valley Primary School Kings Lodge, Warminster King's Park Primary Kingston St Michael Kiwi School Langley Fitzurse Larkrise School Lavington School Longleaze Primary Luckington Community School Lydiard Millicent Lypiatt Primary Malmesbury School- Secondary Malmesbury Primary School Minety Primary School Newtown Primary Noremarsh Junior Nursteed Community Primary School Oaksey Primary Oare Primary School Ogbourne St George & St Andrew Paxcroft Primary Pitton Primary Preshute Primary School Priestly Primary Queen's Crescent School Redland Community Primary School Rowde Primary School Rowdeford Saint Edmunds Primary, Calne Sarum St Paul's Seend Primary Shalbourne CE Primary Southwick Primary School Springfields School St Barnabas Primary St Bartholomew's Primary School St George's Primary Semmington St John's College, Marlborough St John's Primary, Warminster St Mark's Junior, Salisbury St Mary's Infant School St Mary's Broughton Gifford St Mary's, Chippenham St Michael's Primary School, Aldbourne St Nicholas Special St Patrick's Catholic Primary School St Paul's Primary School St Peter's School, Devizes St Peter's Junior, Marlborough St Sampson's Junior School Stanton St Quinton Staverton Primary Studley Green Primary Sutton Benger Primary Sutton Veny The Clarendon College The Corsham School The George Ward School The John Bentley The Manor Primary, Melksham The Stonehenge School Urchfont C.E. Primary School West Ashton Primary School Westbury Infants School Westbury Junior Westwood-with-Iford School Winsley Primary School Winterslow Primary Wootton Bassett School Wylye Valley Zouch Pimary 04/02/09 Downland School Castle Primary The Stonehenge School Chilton Foliat Primary Salisbury High Larkhill Primary Springfields School Horningsham Primary Oare Primary Bishop Wandsworth's School for Boys Pitton Primary Durrington All Saints Infants School St Joseph's Catholic, Salisbury Winterslow Primary Easton Royal Primary Shalbourne CE Primary Baydon St Nicholas Chapmaslade Primary Castledown Foundation School South Wilts Grammar For Girls Idmiston Primary Wyvern College Trafalgar School, Downton Stratford-Sub-Castle Exeter House Special School The Stonehenge School Wardour Amesbury Archer Primary Britford Primary Gomeldon Primary Burbage Primary Chirton Primary St Edmond's Girls, Salisbury Ramsbury Primary St Katharine's Primary Westbury Infants St John's Marlborough Woodborough Primary 03/02/09 Gomeldon Primary St Edmond's Girls, Salisbury Dilton Marsh Primary Matravers Collingbourne Primary Nomansland & Hamptworth Primary Amesbury Archer Primary Avon Valley College Baydon St Nicholas Bishop Wandsworth's School for Boys Bradon Forest Bulford Primary Castle Primary, Ludgershall Castledown Foundation School Chilmark & Fonthill Bishop Aided Primary Chilton Foliat Primary Christ The King, Amesbury Clarendon Infants Clarendon Juniors, Tidworth Coombe Bissett Primary Devizes Secondary Dilton Marsh Primary Dinton Primary Downland School Durrington All Saints Infants School Easton Royal Primary Exeter House Special School Gomeldon Primary School Great Wishford Primary Grafton Primary Greentrees Primary Harnham Infant School Harnham Junior School Hilperton Primary Horningsham Primary The John Bentley School Kiwi School Larkhill Primary Trowbridge Longmeadow Primary Ludwell Primary Lydiard Millicent Malmesbury Secondary Salisbury Manor Fields Primary Mere Primary The Minster Primary Morgan's Vale & Woodfalls Primary New Close Primary Newtown Primary Newton Tony Oare Primary Odstock Primary Pitton Primary Salisbury High Sarum St Paul's St Barnabas Primary St Edmonds CE Girls School St Georges RC Primary St Georges, Warminster St John's Primary, Tisbury St John's Primary, Warminster St Joseph's Catholic, Salisbury St Mark's Junior, Salisbury St Michael's Aldbourne Figheldean St Michael's St Nicholas Primary School The Stonehenge School Sutton Veny Trafalgar School, Downton Urchfont Primary School Warminster Kingdown Westbury Junior Winterslow Primary Woodborough Primary Woodford Valley Woodlands Primary, Salisbury Wylye Valley Zouch Pimary The George Ward 02/02/09 closures included: Broad Chalke Primary Woodford Valley Primary Castledown Foundation School Coombe Bissett CE Primary Newton Tony CE Primary St Mark's CE Junior School Clarendon Infants, Tidworth Ludwell Primary School Pitton CE VA Primary School Exeter House Special School Castle Primary, Ludgershall Durrington CE Infants Winterslow Primary Kiwi School, Salisbury St Edmonds CE Girls School Bulford CE Primary Clarendon Junior School St Martin's CE VA Primary Wardour Primary St John's Primary, Tisbury Semley CE VA Primary School St Joseph's Catholic School, Salisbury Winterbourne Earls CE Primary School Zouch Primary School Dinton CE VC Primary Fighledean St Michael's CE Primary School

Keep up with the latest on the roads with our live traffic updates vis the link on the right