Snow havoc heads north

Forecasters are expecting areas of Scotland, Wales and northern England to suffer the worst of the wintry weather, causing hazardous conditions for many more people.

Higher parts of the Pennines and Jedburgh in the Borders have already seen extensive falls overnight.

Areas hit by Monday's deluge - the UK's heaviest for 18 years - are likely to remain dangerous after the widespread snow turned to ice as temperatures plunged overnight. The Met Office has issued an extreme weather warning to motorists across the UK to beware of icy roads and drifting or heavy snow.

One snapshot survey of more than 300 employers found one in five adults stayed away from work because of the weather.

David Frost, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce, accused the authorities of complacency in allowing transport networks, particularly in London, to be brought to a virtual standstill by Monday's snowfall.

Mr Frost told Radio Four's Today programme that as many as a quarter of employees did not turn up for work because of the snow, which he said had cost British business "a lot of money".

Having struggled to reach Brussels himself, he said he was concerned to find the European TV channels full of footage of Britain being brought to a halt by what, by the standards of some continental countries, was not a particularly heavy snowfall.

Thousands of children across Britain had another day off after hundreds of schools and colleges closed their doors. Schools in Bradford, Birmingham and Surrey and the Borders were among those said to have been shut for a second day.

Rail and air passengers are also being advised to check with their operators before travelling. A spokesman for Network Rail, which owns and runs Britain's rail infrastructure, said there would be "a much better service" into London than the one which operated on Monday.