More snow expected in Britain

More snow is on the way this weekend, the Met Office warned today, after blizzard conditions caused widespread travel chaos across the country and councils warned that supplies of grit were running out.

Major roads and rail routes were shut, schools closed and planes at some airports were grounded, as the coldest snap for 20 years showed no sign of easing.

Flights at Luton and Bristol airports were suspended until later on today.

Both road bridges over the River Severn linking England and Wales were closed for much of the day because of ice falling from the overhead gantries. Although the M48 reopened the M4 bridge remains closed.

Although most major road routes remain open, the Highways Agency repeated its warning that people should not travel unless they had to, and if they did travel to check conditions before setting out.

As more bad weather struck much of the country overnight, emergency services launched a major operation to rescue drivers who became stranded in southwest England. They rescued about 200 motorists stranded overnight in heavy snow near Exeter in Devon.

"It was the sudden snowfall yesterday evening that caught everybody by surprise," said a spokesman for Devon and Cornwall police.

Army teams and members of the Dartmoor Rescue Group were drafted in to help. Drivers were taken to rest centres overnight around Exeter and Okehampton.

"It was really scary -- to be stuck on my own in the car once the battery had gone. It was dark and it was cold," motorist Alison Starkey told Sky TV.

The Local Government Association said council reserves of grit had been "massively depleted" and that some local authorities only had stocks that would last for a day if they were faced with more extreme weather conditions.

It said the situation did not mean councils would run out of grit but that they would prioritise to ensure key routes remained open.

"Where stocks are running low, councils will work with each other to make sure that everyone has access to enough salt to keep battling the icy and snowy conditions," said Councillor Paul Bettison, the LGA chairman.

"If that fails to deal with any issue, then councils will talk to the Highways Agency to look for further supplies."

The Conservatives said the government had failed to put proper emergency plans in place.

"It is alarming that we face a grit shortage as the country has to contend with more snow and freezing weather," said Shadow Transport Secretary Theresa Villiers.

"If grit starts to run out, this will have deeply worrying implications for road safety as well as leading to gridlock for those trying to get to work."

The Met Office is forecasting further snow falls over the weekend and into next week, with weather warnings for icy conditions in place across much of Britain.