Police urge motorists to slow down in wet conditions after five accidents on M40 motorway

Police in the Thames Valley are urging motorists to take extra care on the region's roads today, after heavy rain caused water hazards.

TVP Roads Policing said it had dealt with five accidents in the space of a few hours on the M40, after motorists lost control of their vehicles.

Significant rainfall overnight has led to an increased aquaplane risk on motorways and a-roads and officers say motorists should slow down.

It has also warned drivers to leave suitable space between them and the vehicle in front.

In a statement it said: "Please take extra care on the roads this morning with heavy rain causing lots of surface water hazards "We’ve attended FIVE collisions on the M40 already where motorists have spun out."

The warning comes as drivers could face misery on Friday as millions of people are set to travel on congested roads to spend Christmas with friends and family.

The AA said Friday will be the busiest day on the roads this week, with an estimated 16.9 million journeys being made across the UK.

A further 16.6 million journeys are expected to be made on Christmas Eve.

Congestion could be increased due to a strike by thousands of members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Network Rail causing train services to finish at around 3pm on Saturday.