Boris Johnson battles the weather as city transport falters
- 00:01:40
- ITN
Boris Johnson battles the weather as city transport falters
Heavy snow has brought Britain to a virtual standstill with bus services suspended, trains cancelled and flights delayed. Much of the UK is blanketed in snow after the heaviest falls in several years and the Met Office issued an extreme weather warning for London and the south east of England with heavy and drifting snow making driving conditions treacherous. Both runways at Heathrow Airport in west London have been closed, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights. London City Airport has also been closed. A BAA spokesman said 58 snow ploughs, snow blowers and other specialist vehicles were being used in the battle to reopen the runways at Heathrow. Gatwick Airport is still open but passengers are facing severe delays as a result of the weather. London Transport has suspended all bus services because of the dangerous conditions on the roads. A number of train services linking London and the south coast were also delayed or cancelled as snow drifted onto the tracks. Transport for London said in a message on its website: "All London buses have been withdrawn from service due to adverse weather and dangerous road conditions." Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "We are doing everything in our power to ensure that the services - road, rail and airports - are open as quickly as possible and we are continuously monitoring this throughout the day." London mayor Boris Johnson later suspended the city's congestion charge as a gesture of thanks to workers who were trying to keep the capital moving. Hundreds of schools were forced to close due to the weather. Many businesses also closed down for the day as workers struggled to make journeys in on icy roads.
ITN | February 2, 2009
