Crews praised as snow hits travel

Photo: Ken Hulme

Treacherous winter Weather at Standedge.

OLDHAM Mountain Rescue Team and snow plough drivers have been praised for their valiant attempts to keep the A62 at Stanedge open to motorists.

Saddleworth councillor Ken Hulme was among drivers who were helped to cross the Pennines in treacherous conditions yesterday.

He took this photograph near Globe Farm at around 4pm, when his progress was hampered by two stranded buses on either side of the A62.

The mountain rescue team formed traffic into convoys which followed snow ploughs as they carved a “barely navigable” single track.

“What brilliant men and women the mountain rescue volunteers are, and full marks to Oldham Council staff operating the snow ploughs, working hard in difficult and dangerous conditions,” said Councillor Hulme.

Three men killed in a crash on the snow–affected M62 near Huddersfield on Tuesday night came from Preston.

They were Bilal Bholat (24), Imran Bodi (27) and Alnoor Rajani (31).

They were in a Mitsubishi car which left the westbound carriageway and overturned after colliding with the nearside barrier.

Snow had been falling in the area but police could not say if the conditions had played a factor in the accident. Any witnesses should contact the West Yorkshire Police on 01924-293047.