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| Heavy snow causes travel misery | Heavy snow causes travel misery |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Heavy snow falls are causing travel chaos for thousands of commuters across large parts of England. | Heavy snow falls are causing travel chaos for thousands of commuters across large parts of England. |
| Up to 6in (15cm) of snow has fallen in the Midlands leaving rush hour drivers caught in road gridlock. There are also serious rail delays. | Up to 6in (15cm) of snow has fallen in the Midlands leaving rush hour drivers caught in road gridlock. There are also serious rail delays. |
| A Royal British Legion club in Worcestershire is offering overnight accommodation for stranded drivers. | A Royal British Legion club in Worcestershire is offering overnight accommodation for stranded drivers. |
| The snow storm is moving north-eastwards and people are being urged not to travel unless essential. | The snow storm is moving north-eastwards and people are being urged not to travel unless essential. |
| The worst affected areas are Herefordshire, Worcestershire, the West Midlands and Staffordshire. | The worst affected areas are Herefordshire, Worcestershire, the West Midlands and Staffordshire. |
| Travel is a nightmare... drivers travelling in opposite directions are stopping to talk to each other to ask about road conditions Sian Mulgrew | Travel is a nightmare... drivers travelling in opposite directions are stopping to talk to each other to ask about road conditions Sian Mulgrew |
| Office worker Sian Mulgrew, from Lichfield, Staffs, said: "It is almost a whiteout and has been snowing really heavily for hours. | Office worker Sian Mulgrew, from Lichfield, Staffs, said: "It is almost a whiteout and has been snowing really heavily for hours. |
| "Travel is a nightmare. Drivers travelling in opposite directions are stopping to talk to each other to ask about road conditions." | "Travel is a nightmare. Drivers travelling in opposite directions are stopping to talk to each other to ask about road conditions." |
| Traffic in Birmingham city centre is at a standstill and several roads in the Malvern area are blocked by jack-knifed lorries. | Traffic in Birmingham city centre is at a standstill and several roads in the Malvern area are blocked by jack-knifed lorries. |
| Birmingham International Airport closed its runway to clear away the snow. But passengers were advised to try to arrive for flights as normal. | |
| Hundreds of schools were closed for the day, while many people left work early because of fears road conditions would get worse as the day progressed. | Hundreds of schools were closed for the day, while many people left work early because of fears road conditions would get worse as the day progressed. |
| Snow causes school closures | Snow causes school closures |
| At least one person died in a crash on the M27 in Hampshire on Thursday evening, although it was unclear if the weather had been a contributory factor. | At least one person died in a crash on the M27 in Hampshire on Thursday evening, although it was unclear if the weather had been a contributory factor. |
| A section of the M1 was shut in Derbyshire on Friday morning after a collision between a car and a van near Mansfield. | A section of the M1 was shut in Derbyshire on Friday morning after a collision between a car and a van near Mansfield. |
| The BBC's Sally Nugent said plunging temperatures meant surface water on roads would freeze, leading to black ice in may parts of the country. | The BBC's Sally Nugent said plunging temperatures meant surface water on roads would freeze, leading to black ice in may parts of the country. |
| "The danger is you can't see it," she said. | "The danger is you can't see it," she said. |
| "Drive very slowly even if you think the roads look clear and keep plenty of distance between yourself and the car in front of you." | "Drive very slowly even if you think the roads look clear and keep plenty of distance between yourself and the car in front of you." |
| Snow near the Angel of the North statue near Gateshead | Snow near the Angel of the North statue near Gateshead |
| People should "take extra time and be extra patient" when using all modes of transport on Friday, she said. | People should "take extra time and be extra patient" when using all modes of transport on Friday, she said. |
| More snow has been predicted for Saturday in central and northern England. | More snow has been predicted for Saturday in central and northern England. |
| Luton Town's match against Norwich City became the first of Saturday's football fixtures to be called off due to the weather. | Luton Town's match against Norwich City became the first of Saturday's football fixtures to be called off due to the weather. |
| Friday's horse racing meeting at Wolverhampton, which began before heavy snow started to fall again in the West Midlands was abandoned after three races. | Friday's horse racing meeting at Wolverhampton, which began before heavy snow started to fall again in the West Midlands was abandoned after three races. |
| Disruption caused by a thick blanket of snow on Thursday is thought to have cost hundreds of millions of pounds. | Disruption caused by a thick blanket of snow on Thursday is thought to have cost hundreds of millions of pounds. |
| Motorists, air and rail passengers faced delays, and Commons Leader Jack Straw admitted that Britain could cope better with this type of weather. | Motorists, air and rail passengers faced delays, and Commons Leader Jack Straw admitted that Britain could cope better with this type of weather. |