Gritters blocked by '200 double parked cars' in Peak District

11 January 2025, 18:44

Gritters were unable to get through a Peak District road because of 200 cars double parked on it, a council said.

Derbyshire County Council said its crews could not get past all the vehicles which blocked Rushup Edge and Man Nick on the road down to Edale.

The route is near Mam Tor, a popular beauty spot for hiking which offers views over the Edale Valley to Kinder Scout and the Derwent Moor.

In a post on X, the council urged motorists to move their cars and said a bus or fire engine would not be able to get past.

"We have issues with cars double parked on Rushup Edge and Man Nick on the road down to Edale," the council said.

"Our gritters cannot get through with around 200 cars in the area. Please move your car if you are in the area. If we can't get through neither would a bus or fire engine."

Derbyshire has been covered in ice and snow in recent days as temperatures have plummeted and tourists have flocked to the county to see the wintry scenes.

Read More: Amber alert for nine UK regions still in place as Brits brace for more freezing weather

Read More: UK experiences coldest January night in 15 years as temperatures plummet towards -20C

It comes as the UK recorded its coldest night for 15 years on Friday, with temperatures in the Scottish hamlet of Altnaharra dropping to -18.7C (-1.66F).

Elsewhere, temperatures for large parts of the UK are set to fall again as the cold weather continues.

Met Office meteorologist Zoe Hutin confirmed that Saturday night is set to be cold once again.

She said: “It will be mainly eastern parts that see temperatures dropping widely below freezing, so East Anglia, the north-east of England, northern and eastern Scotland as well.

"So another chilly night to come on Saturday, but then as we go into Sunday and into Monday, then we can start to expect temperatures to recover somewhat.

"I won’t rule out the risk of seeing something around or just below freezing again on Sunday night into Monday, but it won’t be quite so dramatic as the temperatures that we’re going to experience as we go overnight tonight.”

Regarding next week's weather, she said: “We’re saying it’s getting milder but by no stretch does that mean (temperatures) are going to be above average – it just will feel comparatively much more pleasant than it is at the moment.

"The UK has experienced a “particularly long cold spell”, she said, adding: “It has been getting progressively colder each night this week, whereas looking at previous years, we’ve had maybe two or three days where things have been particularly cold.”