Weather forces cancellations at Gatwick and Birmingham

Passengers who are due to fly out of Gatwick and Birmingham are urged to call their airline as overnight weather conditions have forced the closure of the two airports, and motorists are warned to expect treacherous conditions as the use of grit by councils has been ordered to be recued by 50 per cent.

About an inch of snow fell overnight in parts of England and Wales overnight, adding to the eight inches that brought travel to a standstill in the UK on Tuesday evening.

In the south-west, drivers were trapped in their cars until the early hours of the morning, with police escorting drivers to emergency rest areas, while both Gatwick and Birmingham airports have blocked runways, causing many flights to be cancelled or delayed.

Motoring groups claim the rationing of grit will lead to an increased number of road accidents and long delays as the icy weather is expected to continue into next week.

Pot holes have also appeared on roads across the country, as moisture enters the asphalt and then refreezes, causing the surface of the road to break. The north-west London council of Harrow has estimated the price of fixing pot holes to be about £2 million.

The Met Office has said the overnight snow has spread north and eastwards from the south-west of England, covering an area bound by Cheshire, Birmingham, London and west Kent.