OXFORDSHIRE was plunged into chaos as snow battered the county and left roads in treacherous conditions.

Many were left effectively trapped in their homes with roads rendered undriveable and numerous cancellations on trains and buses.

Snow coated much of the county and temperatures remained well below zero throughout the day on Friday.

Witney Gazette:

A4095 in Bampton - pic Toby Perry

A number of collisions were reported as motorists braved the adverse weather and took to the roads.

Cars had crashed on Eynsham Road near Farmoor, on the M40 in various locations and the A361 at Chipping Norton, to name a few.

Witney Gazette:

One car was seen facing oncoming traffic on Botley Road having spun out at the junction by McDonald’s.

Multiple cars were spotted abandoned by the side of the road after drivers lost control and veered off the carriageway.

Witney Gazette: A car that had come off of Eynsham Road, moving out of Oxford, near Farmoor

Police urged drivers to say off the road unless completely necessary.

Commuters using the Chiltern line from Oxford yesterday morning were forced to make their way to Oxford Parkway as snow had blocked the track.

And bus services were reduced or cancelled altogether. Stagecoach announced a number of cancellations and diversions to services in Oxford, Witney and Banbury.

Witney Gazette:

The dangerous conditions led to more than 100 schools in the county keeping their doors closed for the day, including Abingdon and Witney College, The Henry Box School, Botley School and The Iffley Academy.

For some, even remaining at home proved difficult, with reports of power cuts and broken boilers.

Yesterday afternoon pensioner John Brooke said he had been without central heating or hot water since 7am on Thursday morning after his boiler broke down.

The 71-year-old, who lives with his son in Cowley, was having to resort to heating one room with electric plug-in heaters and wear a scarf, hat, gloves and coat indoors.

He said he hadn’t been able to get through to British Gas despite repeated phone calls. The company was advising that it has been experiencing a much higher volume of calls than usual and was prioritising vulnerable and emergency residents.

Mr Brooke said: “I understand the weather must be causing significant disruption but how can they know if it is an emergency if no-one will answer the phone?

“I have been able to keep myself warm but I feel for anyone who is in a similar situation and housebound, it is potentially very dangerous.”