TWO people died as ice caused several accidents on roads yesterday.

The A19 was closed for seven hours following a fatal accident a mile south of the A690 at 6.20am.

It involved a 24-year-old male scooter rider from Sunderland, who died.

In another incident, Susan Hardcastle, 53, of Sherburn-in Elmet, died in a two-car collision in the early hours yesterday on the B1222 sliproad off the A1 at Selby, and North Yorkshire Police received calls about nine other collisions.

Durham Police were called about six morning rush-hour incidents on the A19 as cars and vans crashed into each other because of ice.

They took place between the Hutton Henry sliproad and the A1018. Some of the accidents involved up to five vehicles, although no one was seriously hurt.

Two drivers also crashed on the A19 near Hartlepool.

A Durham Police spokes-man said: "There was a lot of fog and ice around, and drivers were not exercising care given the conditions. Many were driving far too close to the car in front.

"Motorists need to use a bit of common sense in weather conditions like this, when there is a lot of ice and black ice on the roads."

The force contacted Autolink, the agency that grits the A19, three times yesterday morning to advise of treacherous conditions.

It had sent out trucks between 7.30pm and 9.30pm on Thursday.

A Highways Agency spokesman said: "Autolink has a system of weather sensors linked to mini weather stations that are sited along the length of the A19.

"As salt reacts with moisture on the road surface, it forms a saline solution, and the weather sensors pick it up.

"Yesterday morning, these were showing that the road had been treated and there was still salt on the road."

Durham County Council, which is responsible for gritting minor routes, spent £4,500 on 178 tonnes of salt for roads on Thursday.

It starts the year with 30,000 tonnes of grit, which is stored near Consett, and spends more than £2m a year clearing roads.