FOR the first time in its history, the giant Bluewater shopping complex at Greenhithe, near Dartford, had to close its doors today because of the bad weather.

It will be closed for the rest of the day but should re-open tomorrow. The snow and icy roads meant people could not enter and exit the site safely.

Meanwhile, Kent police today urged motorists in the county to take extra care on icy roads which have caused a number of crashes.

In one accident at Margate a motorist needed hospital treatment for minor injuries after his car slid on an ice into railings at Westwood.

Another car skidded on to the grass verge on Nash Road, Margate. The female driver was checked over by an attending ambulance crew.

A police spokeswoman said: "Drivers are advised to check their lights, antifreeze levels and windscreen wipers before setting off on a journey. They should keep to a safe speed."

Many of the county's schools closed for the day, some with heating problems and many suffering with bad access due to the weather.

Parts of north Kent were brought to an almost standstill with heavy snow causing traffic chaos throughout the area.

Long queues confronted drivers trying to get out of the rural areas in Gravesend and Medway and into the town centres.

Drivers on the A2 London-bound and coast-bound faced long delays as a number of minor incidents along the road brought the traffic to a halt. Two lorries broken down on the Gravesend one-way system causing long delays.

North Kent police swapped patrol cars for Land Rovers to get out and about on the roads to help clear the traffic.

Rail commuters in the county also encountered problems for the second day running. Signalling problems affected some Connex services in Kent, as well as South Central services in south London, and Central Trains' services in the Birmingham area.

Yesterday thousands of rail passengers were delayed when the combination of freezing temperatures and signalling failures brought severe disruption to the network.

AA Roadwatch said today there was a 50-mile an hour speed limit enforced on the M2 between junctions five and seven due to heavy snowfall.

The motoring organisation warned motorists to allow extra time for their journeys and warned drivers to clear their windows and roofs properly before setting out. Arriva bus services were severely disrupted in parts of Kent.

Services to parts of Walderslade, Strood and Medway Valley Park, Cuxton, have all had trouble with arrival because of the snowfall.

School children in Grain, near Rochester, have been stranded at home because of a jack-knifed lorry in the village.

A spokesman for the company said: "Our buses are trying to get round the routes but the traffic has been very slow moving this morning."

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