Weather: Snow Storm Brings M6 To Standstill

Heavy snow is causing huge problems for drivers on the M6 motorway in Lancashire as rain and melting snow leads to flooding.

Poor driving conditions have led to collisions and delays on routes across the north of England.

The M6 motorway has been closed in both directions between junctions 25 and 27, near Wigan, after vehicles became stuck in heavy snow and many drivers abandoned their cars.

The stretch of motorway was brought to a standstill as drivers battled poor driving conditions and struggled to make it up inclines, while a number of accidents involving jack-knifed lorries have also blocked lanes.

The M6 gridlock. Pic Kevin Collister

The Highways Agency said there are severe delays in both directions of the motorway and have advised drivers to delay their journeys until weather conditions improve.

Kevin Collister, who is stuck on the motorway just past the M58 junction heading northbound, told Sky News: "There is absolutely no movement whatsoever on my side of the carriageway, all the snow is squashed down into ice and there are wagons trying to move and sliding sideways.

"It's an absolute nightmare, we've been here for three hours so far. A few people are saying we might be here for the night but we're just hoping we can get through."

Conservative MP David Morris, who is stuck on the southbound carriageway, told Sky News: "We've ground to a halt on both sides. Nothing is really moving.

"But the emergency services have been fantastic and are doing the best for us, and everyone is in good spirits - I've just seen a snowball fight and the man next door to me has built a snowman on top of his car roof -  it's very surreal."

Some M6 motorists are making the most of the snow. Pic Ashley Pinches

Pete Martin, from the Highways Agency, confirmed to Sky News that the M6 had been gritted before the heavy snowfall.

"We had an extremely intense fall of snow across Lancashire between 8.30pm and midnight and basically there wasn't enough traffic to keep the lanes moving," he said.

"A number of HGVs lost traction between junctions 25 and 27 and once they blocked the carriageway the snow stacked up and the result was a number of stranded vehicles.

"We've had traffic officers helping motorists, and gritters and snow ploughs trying to clear up - a lot of resources are dealing with what has happened."

The agency is working to set up a shelter at Charnock Services, close to junction 28, for drivers and passengers suffering from the freezing temperatures while stuck inside their car or for those who have already walked away from their vehicles.

Lancashire Police said officers, Highways Agency staff and mountain rescue teams were working in conjunction to help stranded drivers.

Part of the M6 is closed both ways in Lancashire

It said: "We want to reassure anybody who's stuck that we're on our way with colleagues from the Highways Agency.

"The snow ploughs are out and about and the mountain rescue teams are also helping with recovery - be reassured we'll get to you."

It also warned drivers not to venture out while road and motorway conditions remained "treacherous".

Snow has reportedly caused hazardous conditions on parts of other motorways including the M18, M60, M65, M56 and M58.

Meanwhile all flights have been suspended at Leeds Bradford International Airport this morning as a fresh blanket of snow covered most of the Yorkshire region.

North Yorkshire Fire Service said a couple had to be rescued from a snow drift on the North York Moors on Friday evening.

A spokesman said: "Due to extreme weather conditions a husband and wife had driven into a snow drift and were unable to get out. The wife had undergone surgery a week before and they had tried to dig themselves out for over two hours.

"A well-known breakdown company would not attend. Fire crews from Goathland and Whitby attended and managed to get the couple and the vehicle to the safety of a local hotel.

"Usually the fire service only attend life risk incidents but on this occasion an exception was made."

Hazardous conditions on the M61. Pic AA

North Yorkshire Police said some main roads were blocked by snow and abandoned vehicles including the A59 between Harrogate and Skipton and the B6265 at Rylstone.

The Met Office has 12 amber warnings in place from the Midlands up to central England, urging the public to be prepared for likely disruption caused by the heavy snow.

There are also a number of yellow warnings in Wales, southwest England and London and the South East.

Weather experts have warned of the risk of flooding this weekend, as heavy rain moves in and rising temperatures spark a rapid thaw of the built-up snow and ice.

In southwest Wales emergency services are already responding to a rise in calls as roads and properties become flooded.

There are also reports of flooding on the M5 between junction 25 for Taunton and junction 26.

The Environment Agency has 19 flood warnings in place, 15 for the South West and four for Wales.

A further 76 flood alerts have been issued, including 41 for the South West, 16 for Wales, 15 for the South East and one for the North East.

A spokesman said: "Emergency teams from the Environment Agency will be out in force throughout the weekend to shore up defences, monitor river levels and clear blockages from watercourses."

Temperatures will steadily rise from tomorrow to an average of 4C before reaching more than 10C in the south on Sunday followed by wet and windy weather next week.

The severe weather over the past week has hit working hours, according to a survey of more than 2,000 workers by Green Flag Breakdown.

The motoring organisation said one in five people had been too afraid to drive because of the icy and snowy conditions, and a further 5% tried to take to the road but had to turn back.

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Armed Robber Pinned Down During Raid Dies

An armed man has died after being restrained by customers during an attempted robbery at a bookmakers, police said.

The man, in his 50s, was believed to be wearing a gas mask and holding a gun when he entered a Ladbrokes branch on Crownhill Road in Plymouth shortly before 7pm.

Customers managed to disarm him and held him on the floor while others raised the alarm, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

Police arrested the man, who was already unconscious, but he was declared dead shortly afterwards.

"It quickly became clear the man was unresponsive and an ambulance was immediately requested by police who carried out CPR until they arrived," a police spokesman said.

"A few minutes later three paramedics arrived at the scene and continued to carry out further CPR. Around 20 minutes later the man was declared dead at the scene by the paramedics."

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has been informed of death.

Chief Inspector Ian Drummond-Smith said: "This is a very serious incident. We cannot speculate on what has actually taken place here today.

"A full investigation has now begun and while the IPCC carry out their investigation it is not appropriate to comment further."

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Burger King Dumps Products Over Horsemeat Row

Burger King is dumping thousands of beefburgers from the supplier at the centre of the horsemeat scandal - despite insisting its food was not contaminated.

Staff have been ordered to box up Whoppers and Angus burgers and ensure they are not sold to customers.

The fast-food giant was bitten by the controversy last week after tests showed the Silvercrest meat processing plant in Ireland and another site in Yorkshire had supplied burgers with traces of equine DNA to supermarkets.

Several supermarkets took burgers off the shelves, but Burger King said last Thursday it would not be following suit.

By the weekend its restaurant managers were being ordered to remove all Silvercrest burgers.

Burger King has now said it is switching to a different supplier for its British and Irish restaurants as a "voluntary and precautionary measure".

The ABP Food Group, one of Europe's biggest suppliers and processors, stopped work at its Silvercrest plant in Co Monaghan after new tests last week revealed contamination in frozen burgers.

But ABP has insisted that meat for Burger King was stored and processed separately and there is no evidence that its burgers are affected.

Work was stopped at Silvercrest after new tests revealed contamination

Burger King said the withdrawal could lead to shortages of burgers in its restaurants.

It said: "We apologise to our guests for any inconvenience. However, we want to let them know that they can trust us to serve only the highest quality products.

"We take this matter seriously and will continue with our investigations to determine how this situation occurred and what lessons can be learned."

Ten million burgers have been removed from supermarkets across Ireland and the UK as a result of the scandal.

Tesco took out full-page adverts in a number of newspapers apologising for selling the contaminated beefburgers, and Aldi, Lidl and Iceland also withdrew burgers after they were found to contain horsemeat, which is safely eaten by millions on the Continent.

Sainsbury's, Asda and the Co-op later withdrew some frozen products but stressed that the move was "purely precautionary" and they had not been found to be selling contaminated food.

Meanwhile, Labour has claimed a drug with the potential to cause cancer in humans might have entered the food chain through meat from horses slaughtered in UK abattoirs.

The anti-inflammatory drug, phenylbutazone, is banned from being allowed in the human food chain in the EU.

Labour's shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh told the Commons there was evidence the drug - also called Bute - was found in "several" horses slaughtered in the UK last year.

Britain's Food Standards Agency (FSA) said Bute was found in five cases during checks on slaughtered horses in 2012. None of the meat had been placed for sale in the UK and foreign safety authorities were informed, the FSA said.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has retested all burgers found to contain traces of horsemeat and all were negative for Bute.

Companies involved in the separate horsemeat scandal that emerged last week have blamed meat suppliers on the Continent rather than British abattoirs.

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Police In 'Muslim Vigilantes' Victim Appeal

Officers investigating "Muslim vigilante" attacks are appealing for a victim who was abused by the gang for being "gay" to come forward.

Scotland Yard says the man is crucial to their investigation into a number of incidents where a gang calling itself Muslim Patrol has harassed members of the public.

Videos of the attacks in east London where the self-styled gang appear to have started to operate have been posted on YouTube.

The police are appealing for the man in the footage, titled Muslim vigilantes in London harass and taunt gay male, to contact them.

In the film, the gang can been seen to abuse and intimidate the man using homophobic language, shouting: "Get out of here you f** ... don't stay around here any more."

Investigating officers from the Community Safety Unit on Tower Hamlets borough said they are unsure where and when the video took place.

In a second video, posted online, men from the gang in Whitechapel, east London, tell another man "no drink in this area, it's a Muslim area" before ordering him to pour away his alcohol.

Another video posted on YouTube featured a woman wearing a miniskirt being told not to "expose" herself near a mosque.

Detective Chief Inspector Wendy Morgan from Tower Hamlets borough said: "The Met takes such homophobic behaviour very seriously.

"This man is a crucial witness in the investigation and would encourage him and anyone else with information relating to this incident to make contact in confidence as soon as possible."

Additional police patrols are being mounted across east London to reassure the public.

Four men have been arrested in connection with the investigation.

A 22-year-old man was arrested in Acton, west London on Sunday, and a 19-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday after going to an east London police station.

The pair were arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and public order offences and were bailed to return to an east London police station in February and March pending further inquiries.

Two other men, aged 25 and 29, were arrested earlier today and remain in custody.

A police spokesman said: "The Metropolitan Police Service takes these incidents very seriously and is pursuing various lines of inquiry with a view to identifying and prosecuting the individuals concerned."

Islamic leaders in east London condemned the vigilantes.

A spokesman for the East London Mosque said: "These actions are utterly unacceptable and clearly designed to stoke tensions and sow discord. We wholly condemn them.

"The East London Mosque is committed to building co-operation and harmony between all communities in this borough. The actions of this tiny minority have no place in our faith nor on our streets.

"We advise anyone who has been harassed by these individuals to contact the police.

"We will monitor the situation closely and our Imams will be speaking out against such actions."

:: Anyone who feels they may have been a victim or witness is asked to call the incident room on 0207 275 4758, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Prince Harry Arrives In UK From Afghanistan

Prince Harry has arrived back at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire after his second tour in Afghanistan.

In his first interview since returning home, the 28-year-old Apache co-pilot gunner said killing the Taliban is a job "you would expect to do" as a soldier.

The third-in-line to the throne made headlines this week after he confirmed he shot dead insurgents from the cockpit - saying he took the enemy "out of the game".

In response to his comments, he said: "You get asked to do things that you would expect to do wearing this uniform. That's as simple as that, really."

After 20 weeks away, Harry said he was "very happy to be back" and is "longing" to see his brother and sister-in-law as well as the rest of his family.

He said: "You get life experiences that you get nowhere else out there."

Harry has been on post-deployment "decompression" at a British military base in Cyprus, since leaving Helmand Province on Monday evening.

Harry is likely to have drunk his first beer in 20 weeks on the Mediterranean island, as troops are given four cans of lager to help unwind.

He returned home on a regular personnel flight but did not go with the rest of his 662 Squadron, 3 Regiment Army Air Corps, to their headquarters in Wattisham in Suffolk.

St James's Palace said he left Brize Norton privately, but did not comment on where he was headed.

The prince arrived back at RAF Brize Norton

The prince's duties included stints as part of the Very High Readiness (VHR) team at Camp Bastion, awaiting a call 24 hours a day.

Once airborne the task could be anything from medical evacuation of a wounded soldier, to firing on the enemy who might have coalition troops pinned down.

Speaking on his return, he said: "We are supporting the Afghan people, supporting the Afghan army. The way that things are going are fantastic - I suppose that sounds a typical MoD/Army answer, but it's true.

"The difference between 2006 and now is absolutely fantastic."

He revealed he does not have any particular plans for the coming year, but he would like to dedicate more time to royal duties and charitable causes.

Asked what 2013 had in store, he said: "I really don't know. The Army will have an idea, I presume, and whatever that is, I will do.

"Given the opportunity I'd like to take on more royal stuff, to the extent that pre-deployment has been very, very busy.

"Hopefully there will be a few gaps that open up, and as long as I stay current flying and continue with the job, then I'll be able to pay some more attention to the charities and stuff like that."

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Cost Of Raising A Child Soars To £222,000

The cost of raising a child from birth until their 21st birthday has rocketed to £222,000, according to a study.

The overall figure is more than £4,000 up on last year and £82,000 more than a decade ago - an increase of 58%.

The most expensive areas to raise children over the past decade remain London (£239,123), the South East (£237,233) and the East of England (£233,363).

Families in the South West have seen the biggest hike in costs, now paying £10,077 more per child than they were 10 years ago.

Education and childcare remain the biggest costs, with 76% of parents forced to make cutbacks to meet the financial demands of raising their offspring, the survey for insurer LV= found.

The cost of education, including uniforms, after-school clubs and university costs has rocketed from £32,593 to £72,832 per child in the last decade - a 124% rise. This does not include private school fees.

Childcare costs alone have risen by 61% from £9,613 in 2003 to £6,738.

From birth to the ages of 21, parents spend an average of £19,270 on food and £16,195 on holidays per child.

Of the 2,013 mums and dads that took part in the poll, some reported feeling under pressure to keep up with the latest technological advances, even for children as young as three years old.

More than a quarter of parents (27%) had bought their child an electronic gadget in the last 12 months, with 16% buying a laptop or tablet computer.

On average, they revealed they spent around £302 on gadgets for their children.

The survey found costs have risen in all areas of expenditure apart from clothing, which has seen a 5% drop since 2003.

LV= spokesman Mark Jones said: "The cost of raising a child continues to soar and is now at a 10-year high. Everyone wants the best for their children but the rising cost of living is pushing parents' finances to the limit.

"There seems to be no sign of this trend reversing. If the costs associated with bringing up children continue to rise at the same pace, parents could face a bill of over £350,000 in 10 years' time."

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Rape Charge For BBC Presenter Stuart Hall

BBC presenter Stuart Hall has been charged with further sexual offences - including an alleged rape.

The 83-year-old veteran broadcaster was arrested on Tuesday after attending a Cheshire police station.

The Radio 5 Live football presenter was charged with 14 offences of sexual assault involving ten girls aged between nine and 16 between 1967 and 1986.

He is also accused of raping a 22-year-old woman in 1976.

In December, Hall was charged with three counts of indecent assault against young girls in the 1970s and 80s. He denied these three charges at a court hearing earlier this month.

Following the latest charges he was bailed to appear before magistrates in Preston on February 7.

Hall, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, has worked for more than a half century in British broadcasting and was awarded an OBE in this year's New Years Honours.

He presented the It's A Knockout show in the 1970s.

The BBC has previously said he would not be working at the corporation while he is facing allegations.

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Ovarian Cancer: Diagnosis Delays Costing Lives

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

Women with ovarian cancer are having their lives cut short by delays to their diagnosis, a new report has warned.

The Pathfinder Study by charity Target Ovarian Cancer found that women take too long to see their GP about suspicious symptoms, doctors fail to make a swift diagnosis, and GPs are having access to tests denied.

Annwen Jones, the group's chief executive, told Sky News: "We have the worst survival rates for ovarian cancer in Europe.

"This is driven primarily by late diagnosis. And we know from the government's own figures that 500 lives could be saved every year if we matched the best survival rates in Europe."

The study showed that one in four women diagnosed with ovarian cancer took more than three months to visit their GP after experiencing symptoms such as frequent and persistent bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, and difficulty eating.

A third of women then wait a further six months for an accurate diagnosis, often being told they have irritable bowel syndrome, ovarian cysts or a urinary infection.

And one in 10 GPs said they had had requests for diagnostic tests turned down.

Diane Ennis was referred to hospital several times over three months, each time being misdiagnosed and given treatment that did nothing to stop the pain in her abdomen and groin.

Only when she was sent to a different hospital was her cancer diagnosed.

"I still feel upset and angry at the long distressing delay in being diagnosed.

"I won't know if catching it earlier would have made any difference but all that time it was growing and spreading."

The Department of Health last week launched a Be Clear on Cancer campaign to raise public awareness of symptoms that should be checked out by a GP.

A spokesman said: "Early diagnosis is at the core of our £750m cancer strategy and plays a vital role in our aim to improve cancer survival rates and save an extra save an extra 5,000 lives every year by 2014."

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Old Fashioned Con Artistry Makes A Comeback

Traditional con artistry is making a comeback with cheque and procurement fraud as well as Ponzi scams on the rise.

While the spotlight has been on rogue traders and 'super' fraud cases in recent years, KPMG has found a surge in the number of individuals swindling employers, banks and the government.

The latest bi-annual Fraud Barometer reports that insider fraud is hitting corporates hard while more individuals are over-claiming benefits and evading tax.

Cases include a finance department employee who stole hundreds of thousands of pounds – leading to the closure of the company she worked for.

In another case a family used false identities to claim £2.2m in HIV medication, which was then shipped to Africa and sold at a profit.

Identity fraud more than doubled in value to £26.3m from the year before, counterfeit goods fraud was three times the five-year average at £22.9m and Ponzi Schemes worth £72m came to court - again three times the level seen in 2011. Procurement fraud increased to £21.4m in 2012.

Hitesh Patel, UK Forensic Partner at KPMG, said: "In the last few years we have become used to sophisticated frauds at eye-watering values. 

"While the total value of fraud has dropped substantially in the absence of so-called fraud 'super' cases, the old-fashioned con man hasn't given up his tricks. 

"Times may be tough but the data shows that some people are unwilling to give up the lifestyles they've become accustomed to."

Fraud by either management or employees accounted for 80% of financial loss through fraud experienced by UK businesses in 2012.

Employee fraud cases rose to 35 in 2012, up from 22 the year before with their value doubling from £12m in 2011 to £25.1m over the past year.

Tax evasion or benefit fraud cases rose to 15 from three in 2011.

Mr Patel said: "Tax evasion is one of the hot topics of the moment but an increasing assault on the social welfare budgets, particularly benefit fraud, is a real and increasing threat for the government, as shown by the latest figures. 

"Fraudulent actions of individuals in both the public and private sectors exacerbate the need to make cuts in the first place and cause more than just monetary loss: jobs can be lost and already tight government budgets are stretched further, with implications for the delivery of services."

The report also found a fall in the number of cases perpetrated by professional criminals from 98 at the end of 2011 (valued at £1.4bn) to 79 in the 12 months to December 2012 (valued at £414m).

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Defence Cuts: 5,000 Soldiers Set To Be Axed

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

Around 5,000 soldiers will be made redundant in the latest round of job cuts, the Government will announce today.

The Army will bear the heaviest burden in this third tranche of redundancies, the Navy and RAF having already completed most of their necessary cuts.

Sky News understands that soldiers fitting the redundancy criteria will be informed by their superiors later this morning.

Anyone currently serving in Afghanistan is likely to be exempt from this round of job cuts, so too are soldiers preparing to deploy within the next six months and anyone recovering from a recent operational tour of duty.

No-one will actually be made redundant immediately and today's announcement marks the start of the process for the latest round of cuts. Final decisions will be made by June.

In the last round of cuts, 72% of redundancies ended up being voluntary. Military leaders and politicians are hoping for a similar outcome this time round.

Anyone accepted for voluntary redundancy will be expected to work a six-month notice period and those selected for compulsory redundancy will have a full year to find alternative employment before leaving the service.

They will be given resettlement support.

Around 9,000 British personnel are deployed to Afghanistan

By the end of the process the Army will have shrunk to 80,000 soldiers, a reduction of around 20,000, mostly through a redundancy process but also achieved through slower recruitment.

A fourth round of cuts is expected but has not been confirmed. It is likely this would happen at around the same time next year.

The job losses are part of a strategic review driven by budget cuts which aims produce a new look military by 2020.

The biggest commitment by some way is in Afghanistan - 9,000 personnel are deployed in the country - but the withdrawal process is due to start this year and by the end of 2014 most soldiers will have returned home.

Final numbers haven not been announced.

In October last year the Defence Secretary announced plans to rename the Territorial Army the 'Reservists' and double its members to 30,000.

There is also a hope that some of those leaving the military because of the redundancy scheme might sign up to the TA so their experience is not lost.

By the end of the redundancy process the number of serving personnel in all three services will be reduced to 150,000 from 180,000.

It will result in the smallest army since the 18th century and plenty of concerns over effectiveness.

It is not just serving military personnel taking the hit - the Ministry of Defence is in the process of cutting around 25% of its staff. The aim is to save £3.8m a year and to make the department less top-heavy with management.

The UK still faces real or potential threats around the globe, demonstrated in the past few weeks by the hostage situation in Algeria and conflict in Mali.

Some, particularly retired service chiefs, question the UK's ability to face these threats with a reduced military and gaps in the equipment locker.

The Government will again need to convince detractors, home and abroad, that the UK military can still earn international respect despite its reduced size.

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Weather: Snow And Ice Forecast To Stay

Britain faces another week of travel disruption as forecasters warn there is more snow and ice on the way.

With travel chaos across the country and Britain's busiest airport cancelling more than 110 flights, forecasters predicted further misery in the coming days.

Following Friday's deluge of snow, a blanket of snow is expected to sweep across more of the nation today, hitting London and the South East of England first before spreading into the Midlands, north east Wales, East Anglia and central England.

Freezing temperatures will ensure icy conditions endure for some time, with more snow in northern England expected as the week begins.

The Met Office has issued yellow warnings for ice over much of the country, but a red, severe warning for South Wales which experienced the worst of the weather has been downgraded.

Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "The heaviest snow will be across East Anglia and Kent where around 5-8cm (2-3inches) is expected.

BA says it has cut its flights by a fifth because more snow is on the way

"Further west, from the west of London into the Midlands and Wales around 2-4cm (0.8-1.6inches) could fall.

"Overnight the snow will move northwards into Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, The North East and eastern Scotland and it will be very cold with a risk of ice."

Heathrow Airport in west London said it was reducing the number of flights scheduled for today by at least a fifth after forecasters predicted another 2-6cm of snow and low visibility in the area.

Passengers are being urged to check with their airlines before travelling to the airport - where bosses are warning weather conditions at other European airports could further decimate schedules.

Emma Gilthorpe, executive director of Heathrow Ltd (formerly BAA), said the airport had very little leeway to cope with the kind of disruption caused by the weather in recent days.

She told Sky News: "The fact that we operate at almost full capacity means that when there's disruption and we do have to space the aircraft at a greater distance we have little room to manouevre, which is why it's so important we make decisions ahead of time so we don't cause disruption to more passengers than we need to."

:: Are you stuck at Heathrow? Contact the Sky news desk on news@sky.com

Ground staff clear the pitch of snow ahead of Tottenham v Manchester United

Passengers at Heathrow have been facing disruption after many were stranded on planes for seven hours or forced to spend a night on the floor.

More than 100 Saturday flights were cancelled and travellers complained about check-in queues of up to two hours as staff battled to clear a backlog caused by 400 cancellations on Friday.

A 22-year-old man was killed on Saturday when his car was involved in a crash with a bus and also hit a lamppost in Coventry, where temperatures had plunged to -1.3C at the time of the accident.

About 10 people were passengers on the bus and some were treated for minor injuries.

West Midlands Police said the road had been gritted and they did not believe the weather caused the accident.

On the railways, there have been widespread cancellations and delays to services across the country, with First Capital Connect running "ghost trains" overnight in a bid to keep tracks clear of snow.

The freezing temperatures over the weekend have prompted motoring organisations to issue warnings.

Darron Burness, the AA's head of special operations, said: "With the snow compacting down and turning icy, we're likely to see treacherous driving conditions throughout the weekend. Any fresh snow on top will just add to the problems."

The RAC said it had dealt with nearly 9,000 breakdowns - 10% more than usual.

Some have been making the most of the snow this weekend

:: Send in your weather photos and videos

A young woman from Peterborough was killed in a crash involving a number of vehicles shortly after 6pm on Friday, Lincolnshire Police said.

It is not known if anyone else was injured in the accident, which happened in bad weather on the A1 at Little Ponton, near Grantham.

Humberside Fire and Rescue said seven passengers were taken to hospital after a double-decker bus collided with two cars and ploughed into a garden.

In Edinburgh, a 16-year-old broke his leg when his sledge ran out of control and he plunged down a 150ft embankment.

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Three Avalanche Victims Are Named

Two Phd students and a junior doctor were among four people killed in an avalanche in the Scottish Highlands, police have said.

Una Rachel Finnegan, 25, from County Antrim, Northern Ireland, Christopher William Bell, 24, from Blackpool, Lancashire, and Tom Chesters, 28, who was living in Leeds, were killed while walking near Glencoe on Saturday, Northern Constabulary confirmed.

Ms Finnegan was a junior doctor who had been living in Edinburgh, Mr Bell was studying for a Phd in ocean mapping in Oban and Mr Chesters was a Phd student at Hull University.

A second woman was also killed in the accident, although her next of kin have asked for her name to be withheld until her extended family have been informed.

A 24-year-old woman from the Durham area remains in critical condition in hospital.

The avalanche happened in Glencoe, Scotland

Another man survived the avalanche, but has asked for his name to be withheld.

The party of six were walking on the Bidean Nam Bian mountain

It is believed they were climbing down a peak when the snow-covered slope they were crossing gave way.

Five people in total were engulfed in a wall of ice and snow and sent hundreds of feet down the mountain.

A major search operation involving mountain rescue teams and police dogs was launched and the four bodies were found under the snow.

Prayers have been said for the dead climbers at a private service at St Munda's Church in nearby Ballachulish.

The alarm was initially raised by two other climbers not in the stricken party after they found one of the victims lying in the snow.

The sole male survivor then contacted police to say more people were missing.

Rev Moira Herkes told the congregation: "We include in our prayers thoughts for the deceased in yesterday's tragic accident on the mountain and their families.

"Somehow life must continue. We accept the challenges of nature as part of our living."

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond said: "This is an appalling tragedy and our immediate thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who have been lost.

"To lose four people from a party of six is truly devastating."

More follows...

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Murder Probe After Body Of Boy, 2, Discovered

Police have begun a murder investigation following the death of a two-year-old boy.

Officers were called to a home in Modbury, Devon, on Saturday morning after the little boy's body was discovered by a member of the public.

Police confirmed they have arrested a woman and she is being questioned by officers on suspicion of murder.

As well as carrying out door-to-door enquiries, police have also begun initial forensic work - although it is believed a post-mortem examination has yet to be carried out.

That process is expected to be carried out in the coming days by a Home Office pathologist or specialist paediatric pathologist.

In the meantime, detectives are continuing to piece together information and urged members of the public able to assist with their enquiries to get in touch.

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said: "At around 8.20am today, following a report to police, officers attended an address in Champernowne, Modbury, where they found the body of a two-year-old boy.

"A 40-year-old local woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in custody at Charles Cross police station, Plymouth."

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Britain's Big Freeze Here To Stay

Avalanche In Scottish Highlands

Updated: 10:10pm UK, Saturday 19 January 2013

Four people have been killed and a woman is seriously hurt after a group of six climbers were caught up in an avalanche in the Scottish Highlands.

Emergency services were alerted to the accident on Bidean Nam Bian, in Glencoe, at about 2pm and a major search operation involving two mountain rescue teams and police dogs was launched.

Northern Constabulary said four people, two men and two women, were found and have since been pronounced dead.

One male climber, who stayed with the teams to help with the search, is safe and well while a woman is in a serious condition in Belford hospital in Fort William.

John Grieve, leader of Glencoe mountain rescue team, which co-ordinated the search, said the alarm was initially raised by two climbers - who were not part of the group of six - when they discovered one of the casualties lying in the snow.

But, soon after, police were contacted by the male survivor from the climbing party, who told them more people were missing.

Mr Grieve, who is in Spain and was not part of the search, said: "The first call to police was from two other people who had been on the mountain, they found someone lying next to where they were climbing.

"So, the assumption was that it was just one casualty, but it became clear that there were others missing when they heard from the man who is safe."

He said the dead climbers were located using a technique called "probing", where a metal stick is pushed into the snow.

"I'm not sure how deeply buried they were, but using that technique would suggest it was more than a metre," Mr Grieve said.

Police said they are making efforts to identify the victims and to contact their next of kin.

All of the missing climbers were located within four hours of the alarm being raised.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond said: "This is an appalling tragedy and our immediate thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who have been lost.

"To lose four people from a party of six is truly devastating."

Bidean Nam Bian is a munro - a mountain with a height in excess of 3,000ft - with a number of different climbs.

Anyone who is concerned about relatives climbing in the area are advised to contact Northern Constabulary's control room on 01463 715555.

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