Fri 31 Jan
Snowy Stand-still
Britain in winter

LONDON - Snow and heavy winds brought travel chaos to Britain Friday, closing roads, disrupting rail services and closing Stansted Airport, northeast of London. An airport spokesman said the "treacherous" conditions were too dangerous to allow flights to continue. The spokesman added:

We are likely to be shut for the rest of the night because it is too icy and dangerous. The runway is clear but the apron areas are far too icy. We have no idea when the airport will reopen.

There was also disruption to British Airways flights in and out of London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports, with a large number of services grounded. and a number of flights had to be cancelled.

The weather was also blamed for incidents across the country including downed power cables and telegraph poles, overturned vehicles and traffic jams. In northern England, wintery conditions caused a 20-car pile up on a busy stretch of a main road near Crathorne. Nobody was hurt. Snow falls led to chaotic conditions for commuters heading home from work Thursday evening in southeast England. Both railway and London underground train services in the centre, north and west of the capital were severely disrupted. Snow brought traffic on many London roads to a virtual standstill. London underground rail passengers were already facing chaos because of the closure of the Central line and the Waterloo and City line following a train derailment last weekend.

Meanwhile, two people were taken to hospital when a bus with 30 schoolchildren on board crashed in Newborough, eastern England. It was not known if the injured were children. Among the victims of the weather was an eight-year-old schoolgirl who was crushed to death by a falling tree uprooted by winds Thursday in Ashtead, southern England. Several other pupils were injured, one suffering head injuries and another a broken leg.

More wintry showers are expected for Friday and Saturday for the east and southeast, turning rainy later. However, freezing rain might be an issue across the southeast Friday night.