One dead as North is gripped by blizzards

Blizzards and storm force gales swept across Britain yesterday, leaving rural areas isolated and throwing the transport network into chaos.

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Blizzards and storm-force gales wreak havoc on road and rail

Blizzards and storm force gales swept across Britain yesterday, leaving rural areas isolated and throwing the transport network into chaos.

Dozens of people had to be rescued from stranded or crashed vehicles as snowdrifts of up to 20ft (6m) paralysed parts of Scotland and the North-east. In Durham, a motorist was killed and his passenger injured when their car slid off the slush-covered A19 and hit a lamp-post.

On the A1 in North Yorkshire, a road accident involving 23 vehicles left 13 people injured, necessitating a dramatic helicopter rescue by RAF Sea Kings.

Train services on the west coast line were severely disrupted and normal service is not expected to resume until noon today.