Gates installed to block motorists going up the Long Mynd during the snow

But the problem happens so much on south Shropshire's Long Mynd that a set of "snow gates" have now been put in place to stop motorists risking the remote high roads when the chilly weather sets in.

Shropshire Council's highways department has installed the gates at all main entrances on to the seven-mile (11km) long hill range.

The gates are on the Burway Road, which can be treacherous in winter, and at Ratlinghope, and will be closed whenever conditions are deemed too dangerous because of ice and snow.

Over the past 20 years there have been at least six incidents annually where emergency services and the National Trust, which owns much of the land, were called to the the aid of motorists who ignored weather warnings and signs placed at the roadside advising visitors not to travel over the 1,695ft (516m) range.

Dave Cowell, Long Mynd area ranger for the National Trust, said ice and snow could lie for weeks at a time on top of the hills, long after it had melted in Church Stretton below. He said it meant some vehicles could be left stranded for weeks, too.

Mr Cowell said: "Installing the gates will help visitors and those using sat navs make a decision to use alternative routes.

"This will lessen the number of accidents and reduce the call outs to emergency services personnel who put their own lives at risk each time they are called out in these dangerous conditions to assist motorists stuck on ice or in snow.

"For those people visiting the Long Mynd the conditions can be very deceptive. Down in the valley there could be hardly a flake of snow but up on the top of the Long Mynd there could be lots of snow and ice, therefore if the snow gates are closed, then they are closed for a reason."

Shropshire Council highways department will make the decision whether to close the gates based on conditions and forecasts.