THE snow caused chaos for motorists and residents across East Lancashire including two crashes on the same road within half-an-hour this morning.

A man was taken to hospital after a crash on Manchester Road in Accrington at 6.20am.

Two fire engines from Hyndburn attended the scene.

A Lancashire Fire Service spokesman said: “The collision involved a car and a bus resulting in one casualty being trapped in the car.

“Firefighters freed the casualty who was left with paramedics as a precaution.

“Crews were at the scene for 35 minutes.

“There was a report of another accident a quarter of a mile away on the same road at 6.58am.

“One person had been already been helped out of the car by paramedics when we got to the scene.”

The road was closed by police due to a build-up of traffic and the conditions.

A North West Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We attended two road traffic collisions in Accrington.

“In the first one, a patient was trapped in a crash involving a car and a bus.

“We took the man to hospital while there was another crash on the same road after.

“The other man who was injured was treated at the scene by paramedics.”

The road was closed from Rising Bridge to Accrington town centre until weather conditions improved.

Nelson, Brierfield and Barrowford Police warned motorists to avoid Higson Road in Nelson as it was also the scene of some accidents.

There were also reports of the Grane Road being impassable while the Manchester Road to Clowbridge in Rossendale was affected by the snow.

Elsewhere, there were blockages and crashes at the junction of Halifax Road and Walverden Road in Briercliffe.

Public transport operators were posting about the weather affecting services as Burnley Bus Company told commuters they would not reach Harle Syke on the number 5 bus and instead the nearest stop would be at Burnley Hospital.

Burnley Council suspended its recycling collections after they were deemed not safe.