'Ice pancakes' more commonly found in Antarctica seen in Yorkshire river

Wayne Osmond took these photos of 'ice pancakes' forming on the surface of the River Swale in Richmond today.

A gritter has overturned and crashed on an icy Yorkshire Dales roadThey're usually found in Antarctica, the Baltic Sea and the Great Lakes of the US and Canada.

The phenomenon occurs when surface foam freezes in circular eddies of water and the edges are rubbed away as they bump into one another.

These incredible photographs were taken by retired soldier Wayne Osmond, 67 on the River Swale in Richmond, North Yorks.

Mr Osmond, who posts his pictures using the name Tom Kolour, said: "I was more amazed than shocked when I spotted them.

"I was standing just watching them.

"Watching them circulate was really something to experience."

The 'pancakes' are believed to form when foam on a river begins to freeze.

.Whilst ice pancakes look like solid discs, they are often quite slushy and easily break apart when lifted up.

However, when given the conditions to consolidate, ice pancakes can end up binding with each other to form sheet ice and in rougher conditions waves can move these sheets of ice causing them to bend and crack to create ice ridges.