FREEZING fog brought chaos to North Yorkshire roads today with a string of crashes and resulting delays.

But with brighter, wet and windy weather forecast for tomorrow, motorists in the county should not have to face the fog again.

Emergency services were called out to four crashes on the A64 near York this morning.

A man had to be cut free by firefighters after a head-on crash between a red Rover and a white Citroen on the A64 at Stockton-on-the-Forest, near York, at about 6.30am.

Citroen driver Alan Moss, from Stockton-on-the-Forest, was released and taken to York District Hospital with chest injuries, and Rover driver Kevin Bowes, from Malton, and his passenger, were also taken to hospital.

At about 7.20am, two people were taken to York District Hospital with slight injuries after a crash involving a white Citroen van and a blue Peugeot car on the A64 at Towthorpe crossroads, near Stockton-on-the-Forest.

Police said the third incident was a seven-vehicle shunt on the westbound stretch of the A64 just west of Fulford interchange at about 7.50am. Two people suffered minor injuries.

At about 9am, five vehicles were involved in a shunt in thick fog on the A64 at Barton Hill. It is not believed anyone was injured.

Emergency services were also called to a crash involving five vehicles on the northbound stretch of the A1 near Rainton Services just after 6.30am.

Police said the crash, which resulted in one person being slightly injured, involved vehicles travelling behind an HGV which was carrying out a U-turn. A 40mph limit was put in place temporarily.

Updated: 12:05 Monday, December 03, 2001