A MOTHER and her son were taken to hospital when their car careered off a snow- covered North-East road yesterday.

The woman had been driving along the A66 when her Vauxhall Vectra left the road and smashed into the wall of a stone bridge, near Newsham, in North Yorkshire.

The seven-year-old boy was freed by ambulance personnel and taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital with minor injuries.

His mother was trapped in the car and had to be freed by firefighters. She was also taken to the hospital in Darlington, suffering from serious but not life-threatening leg injuries.

There were no other major accidents on the region's roads, as police and highways officers said motorists seemed to have heeded warnings not to travel, and those who did venture out drove with care.

Planes in and out of Newcastle International Airport were affected by snowfalls, as two morning services to Dublin and Belfast had to be cancelled and six domestic and international flights were delayed.

A Met Office forecaster said: "Over the next few days, the weather will be unsettled. At night, the temperature will only be about one degree and there will be an extremely slow thaw, so there will still be icy patches about.

"The New Year weekend will see some bright and showery spells, nothing like the adverse conditions we've had."

Highways officers at Durham County Council warned motorists not to become complacent as the warmer conditions could bring fresh hazards to roads.

A spokesperson said: "It is still very cold, so our 40 powered snow ploughs and gritters and 25 gritting trailers will continue to work round the clock where needed.

"When ice melts or rain falls, there is a lot of water on the roads, which can also be hazardous, so drivers still need to take care."

* Anyone who witnessed the accident on the A66 shortly before 9am is asked to call police on 0845 60 60 247.