EMERGENCY services across the region are at full stretch tonight dealing with scores of accidents on snow-covered roads.

At 7pm, 82 separate collisions had been reported to North Yorkshire Police.

The A19 southbound was closed at Ellerbeck, near Northallerton by a crash involving two lorries at 6.46pm.

No-one was hurt in the incident, but a large diesel spillage has to be cleared before the road can be reopened.

In County Durham, the A66 westbound was closed when a car hit a road sign near Sadberge, Darlington, shortly after 6pm.

A woman was cut from the car by fire fighters and taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital.

Elsewhere, two men were taken to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough after a two-vehicle crash on the A181 at Wheatley Hill at 7.25pm.

Further north, four people were hurt in two collisions involving ten vehicles on the A19.

The emergency services were called to reports of a crash involving six vehicles on the slip road to the A690, near Houghton-le-Spring, at 6.23pm.

A short time later there was a further collision involving four vehicles on the same road.

The road is closed, and motorists are being diverted away from the area.

A spokeswoman for Northumbria Police said four people suffered minor injuries, and warned drivers take extra care in the snowy and icy conditions.