SCHOOLS are closed and roads are congested throughout south Buckinghamshire after heavy overnight snow.

Roads:

There are queues in both directions on the M40.

A lorry and a car were involved in a collision on the northbound carriageway between junctions 4 Handy Cross, and 5 Stokenchurch.

The road re-opened a short time ago but traffic is still reported to be heavy.

The southbound stretch between junctions 4 and 6, Lewknor, was closed and diversions put in place while the road was gritted this morning.

There are also delays on the A404 towards Handy Cross after a car broke down, blocking the outside lane.

Traffic conditions are expected to return to normal at around 10.30am, The Highways Agency said.

Firefighters from High Wycombe and Beaconsfield were called to a traffic collision in Whitepit Lane, Wooburn Green shortly after 7.30am this morning, in which at least one person was thought to be trapped in a vehicle.

Buckinghamshire County Council said main roads have been salted across the county by the council’s 25 salting lorries and are all considered passable. An estimated 500 tonned of salt has been used on the routes so far.

The council warned that although main routes are being salted regularly people should be cautious on minor roads that are untreated.

Salting lorries will work to plan and start at 7pm, re-salt at 4am and do extra runs as necessary, as cold overnight temperatures could cause freezing conditions on the road.

It said the south and east of the county had been worst affected by the snowfall, which was about 8cm deep.

Trains and buses:

Services on Chiltern Railways and the London Underground are running as normal - but bus services around the county have also been affected by the wintry weather.

Carousel buses are continuing to run their usual services to Heathrow Airport and Uxbridge, but none of the others are able to operate.

Arriva buses have had to cancel the 33 service, for Totteridge and Castlefield, and the 38 and 39 through Hicks Farm Rise and Downley.

Schools:

Buckinghamshire County Council confirmed that as of 11am today 155 schools had closed due to the weather, while 79 remained open.

Rubbish collection:

Waste collection has been disrupted.

Wycombe District Council is not collecting today as it said it is not safe to have “large collection vehicles manoeuvring on local roads”.

This will resume on Saturday “weather permitting”, it said, and advised residents to leave bins out.

It said: “We aim is to put additional crews out on Monday/Tuesday next week so that green bins are emptied before Christmas.”

The following areas will not be collected until next week:

• Amersham Hill area, The Priories, Suffield Rd area. • Totteridge, Hillside, Healey Ave area. • Loudwater, Rayners Ave, Derehams, Thanstead Copse • Tylers Green, Hammersley Lane, Bassetsbury area.

Office staff have come into work or are working remotely, it said.

South Bucks District Council said waste collection “may not take place today”.

It said: “All collections will resume fully when conditions improve. Collection days will remain unchanged.

“If your waste or recycling was not collected today we will collect all waste presented for collection on your next collection day. “

Chiltern District Council said: “Weather permitting, Fridays missed collections will now take place on Monday December 21.

“Paper and Glass recycling waste will now be collected on the next scheduled collection.”

See council websites for more.

Libraries and courses:

Chalfont St Peter and Castlefield Libraries, and all mobile libraries, have closed beacuse of the weather. Other libraries may shut early (see link below for updates).

The county has also cancelled all adult learning courses for the day.

The Met Office is forecasting light snow throughout today (see link below).

Click the link below for school closures.

Email your snow pics to bfpnews@london.newsquest.co.uk. Please include where the photo was taken.

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