Wet, wintry conditions on East Anglia's roads have caused more than 200 crashes since Friday, ambulance chiefs warned today. The revelation came hours after a woman died in the early hours when her car left the road and ploughed into a ditch.

The A47 Wisbech bypass near the Norfolk/Cambridgeshire border was blocked in both directions for more than three hours after the crash.

Police said it happened at around 2am on a single carriageway stretch of the road, between the Elm High Road and the junction with Broadend Road.

A rapid response ambulance attended the scene of the crash but the woman, who has not been named, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Today the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) said wintry conditions had caused a spate of car crashes throughout the region.

It said between Saturday and today it had received 216 emergency calls to road traffic collisions (RTCs).

Ambulance service spokesman Gary Sanderson, said: 'At this time of the year, the combination of wet weather, leaves falling off trees on to the road which can make the roads slippery and the nights drawing in early on, we do see a rise in road traffic collisions on our roadways.

'We want the public to have a safe journey wherever they are travelling to and please remember to watch your speed.'

The cause of this morning's A47 crash, in which a blue Suzuki Splash travelling along the Walsoken bound carriageway left the road and ended in a ditch, is not yet clear. Police are still investigating.

'The female driver of the vehicle sadly died at the scene of the collision,' the Norfolk force said in a statement on its website. 'The road was closed while emergency services attended the scene – the road re-opened again at about 5.25am.'

Today's crash happened close to the spot where Fenland councillor and former local newspaper editor Roger Green died in a collision in July.

Mr Green's Nissan Almera which was involved in a head-on collision, close to the Broadend Road junction.

Anyone who witnessed today's collision or the manner of driving prior to the incident should call Swaffham Road Policing on 101.