SEVEN people were injured in a series of accidents across York and North and East Yorkshire as motorists endured fog and ice on the roads today.

A lorry is believed to have skidded on ice at 7.45am on the A171 at Cloughton Bank between Whitby and Scarborough and overturned.

Two men, Des and Jason Crockett, were taken to Scarborough General Hospital.

A motorcyclist was taken to Friarage Hospital in Northallerton with neck and leg injuries after he came off his machine on East Lane, Yafforth, near Northallerton, at 7.20am.

In another accident, a motorcyclist and a single decker bus collided at the junction of the A19 and A163 near Barlby at 8am. The Yamaha rider was taken to York Hospital.

A woman suffered head injuries and had to be cut free from her car after it collided with another vehicle on the Malton to Stamford Bridge road at Buttercrambe just before 8am.

The driver of the other vehicle suffered chest injuries.

And a minor accident on the Shipton roundabout on the A1237 junction with the A19 caused traffic problems this morning. Two vehicles were involved in the collision and one person suffered slight injuries.

The swing bridge over the River Ouse at Selby was operating fully this morning after it jammed open at 9pm yesterday.

Motorists suffered lengthy delays last night when police were forced to divert all bridge users.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said electricians were called to remedy a fault with the drive shaft spring mechanism and it was fully operational at 6.15am.

The fog was expected to return tonight.

Updated: 11:18 Wednesday, March 19, 2003