New misery as snow hits again

Fresh snowfalls and freezing temperatures have once again bought chaos to the West Midlands – with schools forced to close, bins left uncollected and shops left fearing stock would run out.

Plummeting temperatures that dipped as low as –2.5C (27.5F) overnight and a lack of grit has left the region's roads resembling ice rinks, as weather experts warned the big freeze would continue for days.

Flights from Birmingham Airport were delayed by up to two hours today after fresh snow forced the runway to close overnight – with passengers warned to expect more hold-ups.

The 6.35am flight to Paris was unable to take off until 8.30am because of the backlog.

Over the weekend holidaymakers returning from ski destinations like Grenoble and Lyon were also delayed due to weather conditions in France.

Airport spokeswoman Justine Hunt said: "We closed for a few hours from 1am and then again from 3am and re-opened at 7am.

"We do not have many flights during the night. We are experiencing delays mainly because of the weather at other destinations."

Public transport in the West Midlands was today running as normal despite the fresh snow overnight.

London Midland and Virgin Train services on the West Coast Main Line between the West Midlands and London were reporting no delays this morning.

Eurostar was running a reduced service.

Buses were also running normally with only minor delays being reported on Diamond and National Express West Midlands services.

Market traders say they are running out of vegetables because the big freeze has made them so difficult to dig up. Cauliflowers have tripled in price from 50p to £1.50, according to one stall holder at Walsall Market, and supplies are running so short that if the snow continues there will be none on sale within the next week.

Giovanni Foglia, who runs Giovannis Fruit and Veg, said: "I've been a market trader for 27 years and the last time it was this bad was in 1982. The shortage means that the prices have really gone up and in a week or so if this carries one I don't think you will be able to get hold of a cauliflower."

Fruit and veg worth thousands of pounds has also been trapped at a South Staffordshire farm because ice and frost means fields cannot be harvested. More than 5,000 leeks and 3,000 carrots ripe for picking remain underground at Essington Fruit Farm.

Frozen pipes also means there is no water supply to the farm's pig pens, and as a result one worker is being forced to spend nine hours a day transporting tanks to keep the 200 animals drinking. Stock worth hundreds of pounds was ruined as a water pipe burst at Asda in Wolverhampton. Firefighters were called to the city centre store at 10.50pm last night when it was shut. In a separate incident a water pipe which burst after becoming frozen caused thousands of pounds of damage to two Wolverhampton businesses and left a city centre block without water for more than 24 hours.

Computers, monitors, tills, games machines and carpets were destroyed at Tote Sport bookmakers, on Salop Street, after water flooded into the shop from an empty upstairs flat. Stock and electrics at next door Lithuanian convenience store Ausia were also ruined. Firefighters attending the burst at 2am yesterday had to cut water supplies to much of the block. Martin Hartshorne, Tote's area manager, said it caused around £10,000 worth of damage and was "absolutely devastating".

But Sainsbury's in Wolverhampton's St George's Parade today reported a massive hike in salt sales. Deputy store manager Neal Ferman said: "We have sold an inordinate amount of salt, probably 50-fold the normal amount."

The winter weather has led to a number of accidents and floods of calls to paramedics. A mother was airlifted to hospital after a sledging accident left her with severe leg and shoulder injuries. The woman, believed to be in her 40s, was hurt in Worfield, near Wolverhampton. An ambulance, air ambulance and 4x4 rapid response vehicle were dispatched to help her at 2.25pm on Saturday. John Hawker, spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: "The woman was in a field some way from the B4176 road with only the 4x4 response vehicle being able to get near the patient. Due to the difficult location of the woman and her serious injuries the air ambulance was requested to attend."

A teenager was rescued from a nature reserve after a being injured sledging with friends in Shrewsbury yesterday afternoon. Paramedics were called to the aid of the 14-year-old at Earls Hill Nature Reserve after her sledge hit a tree.

The youngster suffered serious pelvic and rib injuries.

West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman John Hawker said: "While the ambulance service does not wish to spoil people's fun, members of the public are urged to use common sense when participating in activities in the snow, including sledging and country walks."

Rubbish continues to pile up as binmen fail to make their rounds due to treacherous conditions on side roads.

Annie Jones, of Biddlestone Grove, Walsall, sent in this picture of more than a dozen bin bags dumped outside her home.

"We've had no rubbish collections for nearly a month," she said.

"We were told three weeks of rubbish would be collected last weekend but now they are just using the snow as an excuse. We have five houses worth of rubbish over four weeks outside our house, our front room view resembles a tip."

Miss Jones said she had contacted Sandwell Council, which is responsible for her rounds, but had not been given any information. On Saturday, the authority had to apologise after binmen left black bags piled outside homes in Tipton when they abandoned their rounds.

It was also today announced that there will be no green bin collections in South Staffordshire this week. In Wolverhampton, hundreds of homes have been warned they may have to go six weeks without bin collections after services were cancelled because of adverse weather conditions. Across the UK hundreds of schools that were forced to shut last week were reopening today ahead of a crucial period of exams for many students.

Most train operators were planning to run normal services. Airlines and airports were also looking in better shape, with easyJet reporting fewer cancellations.

It is hoped the slight weather improvement will give breathing space for councils facing grit shortages. Lorries have been delivering 12,000 extra tons of salt made available by chemicals firm Ineos. The first 50 trucks left the firm's depot in Runcorn, Cheshire, yesterday morning with another 50 scheduled to deliver today.

All of the 12,000 tons was destined to be delivered to Wilhelmshaven in Germany.

The death toll from weather-related incidents also rose to at least 29 over the weekend. The latest victim was a man who died after being rescued when he fell through ice on the River Tees.

Despite the freezing conditions, life is still going on for thousands of people across the region.

More than 140 runners braved the freezing weather to run the 12-mile annual Trig Points Race.

The race had to be shortened but organiser Bob Dredge said he was "delighted" the event had gone ahead. Bosses at the Tamworth Snowdome said the snowfall had inspired people to pull on skis, including around 2,000 at the weekend.

And while trains might be delayed and buses cancelled, Ollie Noakes isn't going to let the adverse weather conditions stop him getting around.

The 17-year-old, of Kingswinford, donned a full skiing outfit in a bid to show a bit of snow should not stop people getting around.

Ollie, who works part time at Snow Mountain winter sports shop in Wolverhampton, said: "There might not be quite enough snow to really ski just yet but I cant understand why so many people seem to hate weather like this."

And clearly no-one told Snowy the hedgehog hes supposed to be hibernating. He has become a regular at the Spiders Webb Cafe, in Sydnal Lane, Cosford.