DRIVERS have been warned to be careful on icy roads after a spate of crashes as the weather turned cold.

There were 32 crashes reported across the West Mercia region within 18 hours on Wednesday when temperatures plummeted.

Staff at West Mercia Operations and Communications Centre revealed the number on Wednesday evening.

A spokesman from the Safer Roads Partnership, which works with a host of partners to promote road safety, said the number of crashes on the roads usually did increase when the weather deteriorated.

She said: "We get a lot more reports although they may not those involving fatal or serious injuries.

"It's generally prangs on the road.

"People who haven't realised it might be slippery or people who haven't cleared their windscreen or when people are travelling too close to one another."

She urged drivers to take account of the weather conditions before leaving home.

She said: "The temperature is dropping.

"If you get up in the morning and you have to scrape your windscreen then you also have to be careful on the road.

"If there is ice on your car, there will be ice and frost on the road.

"Our advice is to clear the whole windscreen, side windows, wing mirrors and lights.

"It makes it easier to see pedestrians and cyclists.

"Keep speed down and keep some distance between yourself and the car in front in case you need to make an emergency stop.

"It's a good idea to check your tyres, windscreen wash and fluid."

The cold weather is set to continue for the next few days although more cloud may make temperatures feel milder and there is the chance of some sunny spells.

However, cold nights with frosts are expected with the possibility of fog patches likely.