Commuter chaos as snow storm sweeps across Britain

MUCH of Britain was paralysed yesterday by the most widespread snow of the winter, while many people took advantage of the big chill to have fun.

Disruption caused by the thick blanket of snow, which reached 15cm in some places, is thought to have cost hundreds of millions of pounds.

It swathed the South and Midlands, gradually moving north and reaching Lancashire and Yorkshire.

In Sennybridge, Mid Wales, the snow was 10cm deep, and 8cm in parts of Oxfordshire. Generally it averaged up to 5cm across Southern and Central England.

There were reports of snow reaching 15cm in the Chilterns in Buckinghamshire and between 10 and 15cm in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Scotland, which was not affected by the main belt of the downfall, also experienced snow showers.

Thousands of youngsters were handed the chance to go sledging and throw snowballs as schools shut.

And it was not only children who had fun in the snow yesterday. West Midlands Safari Park’s four new White Lion cubs frolicked in the white stuff, while a baby Asian Elephant at Chester Zoo took his first steps in the snow.

Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Stansted and Luton airports all temporarily closed their runways. Gatwick and Heathrow also cancelled some departures.