Robert Luther, 48, from Poole, was returning from work in London.

“We’ve been stuck here for 11 hours – it must have been close to zero degrees in here last night,” he told the BBC.

“We had 3 foil blankets between 30 of us. A few of us have put plastic bags over our socks and inside our boots – a tip we heard on BBC News yesterday.”

Volunteers have been taking hot drinks and blankets to those still stranded on the M62 near Milnrow, Rochdale.

Conditions are likely to improve slowly over the next few days, but in the meantime, motoring organisations and police have stressed yet again, not to travel unless it is absolutely essential.