POLICE are appealing for witnesses to road accidents which claimed a man's life and left another seriously injured.

Brett Holmes died from injurie he suffered in a three-vehicle accident at Rode Heath on Thursday.

Another man was badly injured in another accident 15 minutes earlier in Congleton.

The accidents were among a string of serious and fatal crashes on Thursday morning in the Congleton, Macclesfield and Sandbach areas, which were badly affected by black ice.

Mr Holmes, aged 31, lived at Poolside Court, Alsager, and was driving a Ford Mondeo which was in collision with a green Skoda Felicia and an HGV.

The accident happened at 7.45am in Street Lane, Rode Heath, 650 metres north of its junction with Townsend Lane.

Mr Holmes was taken to North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary, where he died later that morning.

Witnesses are asked to ring PC Mark Whitmarsh on 01606-48000.

A Manchester man is in a critical condition after a three-vehicle crash in Manchester Road, Congleton, at 7.30am.

A silver Mitsubishi Shogun was travelling towards Congleton, followed by a grey Renault Megane, driven by the Manchester man.

The Renault was in collision with an HGV travelling in the opposite direction, driven by a 36-year-old Congleton man, who suffered slight injuries.

Police are keen to speak to the driver of a fourth vehicle not involved with the accident, but which was seen after the crash to come round the bend, leave the road and crash into a hedge.

Police said that driver could be a valuable witness, and witnesses are asked to ring PC McLackland on 01606-48000.