Motorists are bracing themselves for long queues as the Christmas getaway reaches its climax today.

Police and the AA have not reported any serious delays in Sussex so far but motorists are being warned to leave extra time for their journeys.

A spokesman for AA Roadwatch said: "History tells us that even on Christmas Eve, the busiest times are between 7.40am and 9am and 3.45pm and 6pm.

"We would advise anyone who is travelling away for Christmas to leave extra time for their journey to take into account any problems or traffic build- up. So far we have not been told of any adverse weather conditions or major accidents that might compound people's travel plans."

More than 18 million cars were expected on the roads during the holiday period, with today expected to be the busiest.

Yesterday, the most congested areas were in the north of the country, including the M5, M6 and M42 near Birmingham, the M62 near Huddersfield and the M60 near Greater Manchester.

To check the state of the roads, call the AA on 0870 600 0371.