SNOW CRISIS IN UNITED KINGDOM

Heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures have caused hundreds of schools to shut, flight cancellations, train delays and disruption on the roads as Britain battles with a fresh blast of icy conditions.

Almost 4,000 gritters are taking on the freezing weather and drivers are being urged to ask themselves if their journeys are "really necessary" as the UK prepares for another bitterly cold day.

With several more centimetres of snow falling in some parts of the country, police and fire services are having to rescue stranded vehicles and deal with crashes.

More than 400 schools across Scotland are shut , and hundreds more across the rest of the UK, including 386 in Norfolk, 328 in Essex and 243 in Suffolk.
It says there will be up to 15cm (6in) of snow as a result, 40cm (16in) in some places, which is likely to cause more delays to roads, rail and air travel.

One of the worst affected places is the North East, with some roads left impassable.