FREEZING temperatures caused mayhem on the region's roads over the weekend as temperatures fell to as low as -7C.

Police in County Durham and North Yorkshire reported dozens of minor accidents caused by rain falling on freezing road surfaces.

The lowest temperature in the region was recorded at Topcliffe, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, on Saturday night at -7.2C.

Meanwhile, Scotland recorded its lowest November temperatures for a decade.

Police in County Durham reported that the number of minor accidents had reached double figures yesterday. No one had been seriously hurt.

A pregnant woman was taken to hospital for a check-up after the car in which she was a passenger overturned on black ice on the road between Sherburn and Bowburn, near Durham City, yesterday morning.

Durham Police said the woman, who was 36 weeks pregnant, was unhurt but was taken to the University Hospital of North Durham, in Durham City, as a precaution.

There were several accidents on and near the A1(M) in County Durham, including one on the A689 Sedgefield road, near the Bradbury interchange, when a van overturned on the central reservation.

There were four further accidents in the Bishop Auckland area and 11 in the Newton Aycliffe area.

In North Yorkshire, both north and south-bound carriageways of the A1 were plagued with a series of minor shunts from 8am to 10am.

Inspector Frank Rogan, of Durham Police, said: "It has been the first really cold spell we have had so far.

"It has been a combination of things, including the rain, which is practically freezing straight away. It has made very difficult driving conditions.

"The gritters are out, but unfortunately you do get the odd isolated patch where the ice has formed.

"We are asking people to drive a little bit more cautiously and set off a little bit earlier and take their time getting to where they want to go.''

Tony Conlan, a forecaster at the PA Weathercentre, said: "It is damn cold - at least ten degrees below the average temperatures for this time of year."

In the Highlands of Scotland, the temperatures on Saturday evening in Kinbrace, Sutherland dropped to -13.2C and in Loch Glascarnoch to -11.5C