Be prepared for your trip, urge police

“If you’re staying at home, please keep an eye out for elderly and vulnerable - check on your neighbours and make sure they’re warm and safe. There is an enormous demand on the emergency services at the moment, but if someone needs medical attention or is in danger, don’t hesitate to call 999 immediately.

“I would particularly like to thank the scores of volunteers, including those from the Red Cross and many individual 4x4 owners, who have turned out to assist the emergency services over the last 24 hours. All agencies have been working tirelessly to assist people who have been affected by the weather, especially those who have been particularly vulnerable because of age or medical reasons.”

Sussex Police received nearly 2,500 emergency and non-emergency calls in the 24 hours up to 9am today (Tuesday, March 12) - around 700 more than an average March weekday.

Of these, 228 were road traffic collision reports of which two involved serious injury and 16 resulted in slight injuries. In total, there were 771 road-related calls, including:

- A 19-year-old woman received head injuries when her car was involved in a collision with two others on the M23 near Crawley shortly before 11pm on Monday night. She was taken to the East Surrey Hospital by ambulance. The cars, a Nissan Almera, a Volkswagen Golf and an Audi A3.

- A 25-year-old motorcyclist from Harlow in Essex suffered a broken leg when his motorbike was in collision with a Volkswagen Golf in Ockley Road, Bognor Regis at 3.30pm on Monday. He was taken to St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester. The Volkswagen driver, a 42-year-old woman from Bognor Regis, was uninjured. There is no indication that this was a weather-related collision.

- PCSOs are out in force across the county and in Eastbourne PCSO Anita Rockingham has been making contact with several elderly people on her beat to check that they are okay and to make a trip to the local shop if they’re short of essentials.

- In Woodingdean, former soldier PCSO Christopher Kingswood called upon his Bear Grylls-style survival training when he became stranded after hours of helping drivers stuck on the A259 and A27. He bedded down in a very cramped police box, head and feet touching both ends! He managed a few hours’ kip before being back out on duty at 7am.