Snow brings Britain to a standstill (From Runcorn and Widnes World)

Snow brings Britain to a standstill

2:33am Sunday 5th February 2012 in National News © Press Association 2011

Much of Britain has woken up to a blanket of snow after the big freeze brought dumps of up to 16cm, grounded planes and caused road and rail disruption.

Many motorway drivers were forced to spend the night in their cars as the snow brought traffic to a standstill and the Highways Agency urged motorists to take extra care on the roads.

Although the worst of the snow will move eastwards, swathes of the UK have been placed on amber alert, with the Met Office warning of icy conditions.

Flurries fell over Scotland, northern England and the Midlands on Saturday before moving down to London and East Anglia.

Church Fenton in North Yorkshire and Wattisham in Suffolk recorded 16cm of snow, while up to 15cm was forecast for parts of Cumbria, Lincolnshire, East Anglia, North Yorkshire, the Peak District and the Midlands.

A third of Sunday's flights have been axed at Heathrow Airport amid adverse weather conditions and the possibility of freezing fog.

A Heathrow spokesman said: "We have about 850 of our usual 1,231 flights scheduled for today. That's been agreed with the airlines, but we are asking people to check with their airlines before travelling to the airport."

A full schedule of flights is planned for Gatwick Airport, but passengers were warned of possible disruptions because of the weather. Stansted, Birmingham, Luton and Manchester airports were forced to suspend operations for a period last night as snow piled up on the runways, but normal service was expected to resume today.

On the roads, motorists faced what the RAC described as a "dangerous cocktail of driving conditions" and were urged to stay at home where possible. Some minor routes closed altogether.

Police in Kent warned people not to travel unless "absolutely essential", and urged people not to cause an obstruction if forced to abandon their vehicles. A spokesman said: "Kent Police is advising people to be prepared and take great care. If drivers feel their journey is essential, they should listen to traffic updates on local broadcasts before setting off."