CASUALTY staff and paramedics were "snowed under" with patients who tripped over and fractured bones on icy roads and paths.

York hospital managers even had to postpone operations for some patients who were expecting to come in for surgery yesterday because their accident and emergency department was so full.

At midday, there were 60 people waiting in casualty - three times as many people as staff would normally expect to see at that time of day.

More than 100 people had already come through its doors with cuts, bruises and fractured bones in the morning alone after tripping over or falling off bikes on the ice.

Nursing director Mike Proctor said about five people due in for elective procedures such as hip replacements had had to be rescheduled.

He said: "It was really treacherous out there. We had all sorts, young, old, people coming off their bikes and off motorbikes.

"It was the worst I can remember for a few years."

He urged people to watch the weather forecast to check if temperatures were due to fall below zero, and to be careful if roads were expected to be icy.

Meanwhile, control room staff at York ambulance station had taken 61 emergency 999 calls by 2.30pm yesterday from people who had fallen on ice. Paramedics in the region had been to 32 road accidents within the same time.

David Butterfield, area manager for Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: "Due to icy weather conditions it has been an extremely busy morning for our ambulance crews in North and East Yorkshire.

"All the crews worked extremely well, and those in York - who were particularly busy - have been helped by colleagues from other parts of North Yorkshire. It was also a great team effort between the ambulance service and the hospital - and people have been very understanding of the situation."

Stephen Davenport, a weather forecaster at London-based MeteoGroup, said icy conditions were expected again today.

"It's going to feel pretty raw," he said.

Temperatures would be between 2C and 4C, with some sunshine but also sleet showers likely.

Meanwhile, patients at the hospital were still affected by sickness yesterday.

Last week The Press reported how hospital managers shut six wards to new patients and partly closed two more because of a sweeping bug.

It had not been confirmed whether the bug was the notorious Norwalk-type vomiting virus which affects many community settings at this time of year.

Yesterday, four wards at the hospital were still closed to new admissions because of sickness.