MOTORISTS have told of the torrid time on the M25 last night, where many people spent several hours in their cars as the carriageways became impassible with snow and ice. Some were stuck for 12 hours.

Gemma Rydqvist, 38, was travelling home to Bedford after a day in Colchester with her mum Pamela, 60, and said the journey should have taken just a couple of hours.

But after leaving at 7pm last night (Sunday, 11 December) she got stuck in the snowstorm, which caused chaos including breakdowns, crashes and standstill traffic.

A video filmed at 4am shows the motorway littered with static cars.

She spent the night in their car, reaching her home at 7.40am today.

Gemma said: "It was atrocious, there were so many crashes, people were stuck in the middle of the road - you couldn't move. I don't know how many cars I had to push.

"I am so happy to be home. I walked in my door at 7:40am this morning. I had my disabled mum in the car. We had no water - she was suffering. There was nothing we could do."

The distribution manager who was stuck between junction 24 and 25 of the M25 for three hours said she had "never seen anything like this".

She said: "The authorities were totally unprepared.

"It was horrendous but there was a real sense of community. Everyone was helping each other."

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for ice and fog across the UK today.

Last night was the coldest night of the year, with temperatures hitting -15.7C in some areas.