British chill closes airports, schools

In northwest England, heavy snow blocked roads and triggered accidents in the Cumbria region while Manchester and Liverpool airports were closed.

"A significant amount of snow has fallen overnight and continues to fall at the airport and across Greater Manchester," said a spokesman for the major air hub, Britain's busiest outside the London region.

Meanwhile some train services between London and Leeds were cancelled.

In Scotland, flights were delayed at Aberdeen and Glasgow airports, while train services were disrupted between Glasgow and Edinburgh, and there were delays on trains from Glasgow to London.

Hundreds of schools were closed in Scotland and northern England, including some 60 in North Yorkshire, as teachers struggled to get into work and parents kept their children at home.

In the south, London had freezing temperatures but was largely spared disruption, although forecasters said snow and icy conditions were expected to move southwards during the day.

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