Chester and Ellesmere Port have woken up to a blanket of snow this morning (Sunday, December 10) as the warnings of severe weather became a reality.

North West Motorway and Cheshire Constabulary officers have been kept busy dealing with a number of incidents on the area's roads.

This included the A534 by the Bickerton Poacher where there was a bus and two HGVs stuck due to the weather conditions.

Police advised: "Please drive safely and avoid the area if possible." The road has since reopened.

Not everyone is heeding safety advice, however, with police reporting one driver on the M62 had been caught speeding at more than 130mph.

An hour ago, Cheshire police warned that the A534 from Broxton towards Nantwich was only passable with extreme care due to snow and were advising motorists to avoid the A49 between Sandiway and Tarporley for the same reason.

Cheshire police have issued the following guidance: "Weather across the county continues to be wintery and whilst making Christmas card scenery, it's a challenge to drive in. If you must drive then slow down and leave plenty of room to stop. Leave a big gap between cars, turn on lights and drive slowly in a high gear."

An amber warning for snow is in place across the North East, North West and the Midland regions today between 3am and 6pm in response to a forecast of frequent snow showers.

The Groves, Chester

Late afternoon into the evening the snowfall is expected to ease but there will be a few sleet/snow showers mainly in the north. This will linger until the early hours of Monday.

Phil Stockford, emergency planning manager at Highways England, said: “Drivers should plan their journeys, monitor weather reports and pack a snow kit of blankets, food, water and a shovel.”

If you have any pictures of the snow in Chester or Ellesmere Port share them with us via Twitter @ChesterChron or email us at newsroom@cheshirenews.co.uk