Snow and ice shut schools and cause rail delays

Disruption is continuing across parts of Devon and Cornwall following heavy snowfall on Thursday.

A number of schools have closed on Friday, and train services have been cancelled.

The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for ice across parts of the region, which will be in force until 10:00 GMT on Friday.

It has warned of "difficult travelling conditions" and said wintry showers were "likely".

Devon County Council told BBC Radio Devon that its gritters were deployed at 03:00 GMT but warned that roads could remain icy for most of Friday morning.

Jen Murphy at Devon County Council's Highways Control Centre said: "Please remember ice can form on even treated roads.

"One of the things I'd like people to bear in mind is that roads can look clearer than they were yesterday but you need to still expect them to be slippy for most of the morning."

Cormac, a Cornwall Council company, said conditions would not cause "too much of a problem" on Friday.

Steve Bailey, network manager, said: "We were out treating the roads last night at 03:00 GMT so each route would have finished at about 06:00.

"Looking at the temperatures and the road surface temperatures, they're actually picking up now.

"There certainly is some ice risk out there now so people should be careful but it is warming up now so I don't expect there to be too much of a problem today."

A lorry driver said he was stuck on the A30 at Belstone Services near Okehampton for about 14-hours due to the snow.

Southbrook School near Exeter, Honiton Community College and Mill Water School near Budleigh Salterton will close for the day due to the risk of ice, Devon County Council said.

Cornwall Council said Bugle school near St Austell will delay its opening until 10:00.

Great Western Railway has warned of disruption to its services due to the weather.

In a post on X, it said the line between Crediton and Okehampton was blocked.

It warned of cancellations to services between Exeter St Davids and Okehampton via Crediton.

More than 70 trees which fell during the snowfall have been cleared from train tracks, National Rail Western said.

In a post on X, it said: "Heavy snow means that no trains are able to run to Barnstaple until noon, or Okehampton until 16:00 GMT."

Speaking to Radio Devon, Chris Lucas, 48, who travelled to Cornwall, said he joined the A30 at about 06:20 GMT on Thursday.

He said a snowy hill caused delays, adding he arrived home at about 18:15 GMT.

"People were so desperate to get home, they were trying to get up the hill and were getting stressed," he said.

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