A VAN skidded off the road when it hit a patch of ice and crashed into an 8ft flint wall near to Audley End House, Saffron Walden, early this morning. Firefighters from Saffron Walden were called to the scene of the accident on the B1831 in Audley End at

A VAN skidded off the road when it hit a patch of ice and crashed into an 8ft flint wall near to Audley End House, Saffron Walden, early this morning.

Firefighters from Saffron Walden were called to the scene of the accident on the B1831 in Audley End at 6.42am.

Station Officer Paul Curtis said: "The wall runs alongside Audley End House and the car had hit an ice patch on the road and crashed into the wall. The man driving the van had a lucky escape as the van was quite badly damaged."

The man was placed in the care of the Ambulance Service.

Whilst fire crews dealt with the crashed van, two other cars left the road close by due to the icy road conditions. No-one was trapped in the vehicles and fire crews made the vehicles safe.