SNOW brought a seasonal start to the New Year - but high winds and ice meant it was a miserable beginning to 2004 for many people.

But despite the atrocious weather conditions, police reported one of the quietest days for accidents on the region's roads, as drivers heeded warnings to stay indoors.

Nearly all roads were open and there were only a few minor bumps and shunts across the North-East and North Yorkshire.

Two major firework displays in Newcastle and Gateshead were cancelled.

The New Year celebrations for Tyneside were due to have featured fireworks set off from four sites in Newcastle and Gateshead.

But those scheduled for the top of the Manors car park, in Newcastle, and the multi-storey car park, in Gateshead town centre, were called off.

However the displays from the Town Moor, in Newcastle, and Saltwell Park, in Gateshead, went ahead.

A programme of entertainment on the streets of Gateshead and Tyneside was also staged as planned.

Paul Rubenstein, head of arts and culture for Newcastle City Council, said: "This is very disappointing but we have to put public safety first.

"The rest of the evening has gone very well and despite some very inclement weather people did turn out and enjoyed some fabulous entertainment in Newcastle and Gateshead city centres."

Organisers had hoped to stage the postponed events last night but pulled the plug after further warnings of bad weather.

They said some of the displays were still too wet to light and further strong winds were forecast.

The New Year's Day race meeting at Catterick, in North Yorkshire, was also cancelled, because of frost.

In nearby Northallerton, residents woke yesterday to discover their road was blocked by a tree that had come down in the early hours.

The top of the tree crashed down on a parked car in Linden Road, but no one was on the street at the time and no one was hurt.

Firefighter and amateur photographer Ian Jack dashed out to capture some dramatic images early yesterday before workmen arrived to remove the uprooted tree.

"I didn't hear it come down at all but my son came home from work at about 3am and said the tree was down then," said Mr Jack.

"It was quite a storm the night before. It was really blowing a blizzard and I think that must have been what brought the tree down."