Heavy snow swept Britain on Friday (January 18), disrupting road, rail and air traffic, and forcing schools to be closed.

Motorists were urged to avoid all but essential journeys amid strong winds, plunging temperatures and blizzards which sent several cars spinning into ditches.

Several airports were forced to ground flights or close after thick snow flurries.

Heathrow shut both runways for periods during the day, while Bristol and Birmingham airports closed for a time, with hundreds of flights cancelled and passengers stranded.

The weather forced nearly 2,000 schools to shut their doors, which allowed school children to play in the snow.

In Wales, thousands of households were left without any power.

Rail travellers also experienced upheaval as operators scrapped services.