Icy conditions caused havoc for drivers as snow fell across Sussex for the first time this winter.

On the A23 at Handcross Hill a driver was trapped in her car for more than an hour when it skidded on black ice amid scenes of chaos.

More than ten cars were involved in crashes along the road, which police likened to a "skating rink".

Firefighters from Crawley used cutting equipment to free the 25-year-old driver from her car after the smash on Saturday morning.

She was taken to hospital with leg injuries.

The spate of crashes happened at about 7am on the southbound stretch of road after temperatures plunged overnight.

The carriageway between Pease Pottage and Handcross was closed for about three hours while emergency services cleared wreckage from the road.

A Highways Agency spokesman said the accidents occurred an hour-and-a-half before the stretch of road had been gritted.

But in Brighton and Hove, the gritters were out on Friday after a snow warning by weathermen.

Between two and three centimetres of snow fell on low ground, with more on the South Downs.

In Hastings, a man was trapped in his Renault Clio which overturned after skidding on the A21 Edbens Hill at about 8.45am on Saturday.

The motorist was taken to Conquest Hospital, Hastings, but his injuries were not life-threatening.

A woman and three children were left shaken after their car turned over at 8.20am on Saturday in the village of Houghton, near Arundel.

All four suffered shock and minor injuries, but escaped from the car before fire crews arrived.

Meanwhile, pumps worked flat out over the weekend to clear floodwater from the eastbound carriageway of the A27 between Lancing and Shoreham, which was restricted to one lane.

The Highways Agency warned there was a risk the road could be closed completely if rain returned.

The spokesman said: "We have the latest equipment to deal with the situation but when this amount of rain arrives even the best system struggles to keep up."

But the Environment Agency said the cold weather should provide some breathing space for those threatened with flooding in Sussex.

A spokeswoman said: "The cold will give the rivers a chance to recover and river levels are starting to drop.

"The prolonged rain has been a huge problem and we have been very concerned about the River Ouse and the Uck.

"We will be watching the weather next week but for the short term it looks like things will be OK."

Despite the rain easing off, many areas of Sussex were still on flood alert over the weekend.

People living on the coast between Chichester Harbour and Selsey Bill were given flood warnings, with Selsey named by the Environment Agency as one of the main towns at risk.

Other areas put on flood alert included Lewes, Combe Haven, near Hastings, the River Arun between Pulburough and Arundel, and the River Ouse between Isfield and Barcombe.

Dave Williams, a forecaster at the Met Office, said the weather would stay cold and bright over the next few days.

Light snow or sleet showers are expected nearer the coast and an easterly wind on Monday night will mean temperatures falling well below freezing.