Visit www.weatheronline.co.uk - the UK's most comprehensive internet weather - to get the latest weather news

London, Snow and cold weather in many parts of Britain on Wednesday forced schools to close and caused a string of road accidents, including a 21-vehicle pile up, the authorities said.

Nineteen cars and two heavy goods vehicles were involved in a road accident on the M2 road in Kent, southern England, as snows limited visibility, but no serious injuries were reported, the police said.

A police spokeswoman urged motorists to drive sensibly, adding "this means keep your distance from the car in front, adjust your speed appropriately for the conditions, use a low gear in icy conditions and use your lights."

One person was treated for shock, she added. Police in Norfolk, eastern England said around 30 accidents had been reported after several inches of snow fell overnight.

In one accident, a Norfolk County Council salt truck left the road and crashed through the wall of a pub at Neatishead. Pub staff said the accident had caused extensive damage to the front of the building but no one was hurt.

A spokesman for Norfolk County Council said officials were trying to discover what had caused the crash. More more than 20 schools were closed across Norfolk because of snow and education authority officials said the number could rise Thursday. Police in neighboring Suffolk said there had been no major problems on the roads, but more than 40 schools across Suffolk were closed because of the snow.

Copyright 2005 AFP & WeatherOnline Ltd