Motorists warned to beware icy roads as the snow clears The authorities responsible for keeping the roads clear of snow and ice said they were conscious of the problem and took account of rain showers when carrying out gritting. A spokesman for the Highways Agency, which is responsible for England's motorway and trunk road network, said: "If rain falls on an already-treated part of the network, then we will undertake further treatments as required in order to maintain the effectiveness of the salt." A Local Government Association spokesman added: "Councils are well aware of the impact rain can have on gritting and try to coincide spreading with the often short window between rain stopping and ice forming." A train makes its way through a snow-covered railway station in Kent (Rex) Most of Britain woke up to snow on Monday, but there were heavier falls of up to 6ins in the eastern half of the country as the day progressed. Thousands of motorists had to be rescued after breaking down, including more than 20 who called the AA after their cars got stuck in the snow. A serious crash involving at least ten vehicles caused major delays on the M4 across the Berkshire Downs while it was blanketed by snow and freezing rain on Monday morning. Kent Police stopped a motorist driving at 110mph through snowy conditions on the M20. Heavy snowfall in parts of eastern Scotland led to schools being closed or children sent home early and disruption to the roads. A British Airways plane is de-iced at Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport (PA) Some 31 flights out of Heathrow were cancelled, including 12 short-haul British Airways services, although the airport stressed that they were not all weather-related. The snow also led to speed restrictions being imposed on Greater Anglia trains between London Liverpool Street and East Anglia, causing delays of up to 30 minutes and leading to the cancellation of some services. Forecasters said the snow was expected to clear by this morning but it would remain very cold and there could be isolated snow showers in the east of the country. Temperatures are expected to drop further to as low as -10C (14F) on high ground in some rural areas in the north tomorrow night, with the possibility of more light snow flurries. A man pushes a bicycle through the snow as he passes Kings College Chapel in Cambridge (PA) Eddy Carroll, the Met Office's chief forecaster, said: "We expect snow to affect many eastern parts of the UK over the next day or so leading to some disruption. With some very low temperatures over the next few nights we also expect ice in many places and people should be prepared for travel problems. Jeremy Clarkson, the Top Gear presenter, joked on Twitter about the UK's traditional tendency to over-react to cold weather. People of the world. Stay away from Britain. It is locked in ice chaos. On high ground, the snow is 2cm deep. Authorities are losing control," he wrote. Meanwhile, public-spirited postmen and milkmen have been asked to help keep an eye on the elderly and vulnerable during the cold snap.