Freezing weather closes schools

Snow on the North Pennines (pic courtesy of Johnny Acton)

Freezing temperatures and overnight snow falls in Cumbria have led to the closure of a number of schools.

Cumbria Police said driving conditions remained difficult, and motorists were urged to take care and avoid making unnecessary journeys.

There were no reported road closures on Wednesday, but overnight the M6 was down to just one lane, and there were problems on the A69 and the A66.

The fell runner bus service from Penrith was also cancelled.

The county council said its entire fleet of gritters had been out treating a network of priority routes, chosen to maintain transport connections for as many communities as possible, and was now tackling more minor roads.

About 40 schools throughout the county were closed, mainly as a result of the bad weather.