Snow: RAF Helicopter Sent To Aid Families

Costs Rise As Lambs Brought Indoors

Updated: 11:46pm UK, Monday 25 March 2013

By Frazer Maude, North of England Correspondent

The Dean family have been farming in the Yorkshire Dales village of Threshfield since 1236.

Toft House Farm will have seen some harsh winters through the centuries, but weather like this in late March won't have happened too often.

Angus Dean runs the farm with his brother, and during lambing season his day starts at around 5.30am. It doesn't end until past midnight.

With almost 1,000 sheep to care for, this is one of the toughest, but most rewarding, times of year.

The rewards are plain to see. He's gentle with his animals, and still can't hide the smile on his face as he delivers triplets to one sheep in its straw lined barn.

Ordinarily though, these lambs would enter the world in a field, not a barn. Their mother would be eating fresh grass, not expensive feed (called cake).

Drifting snow, biting winds, and sub-zero temperatures, mean the three new arrivals would struggle to last even a few hours outside.

"Even in the fields which aren't totally covered in snow aren't usable at the moment," explains Mr Dean.

"Because the sheep need the shelter provided by the dry stone walls. Only there isn't any shelter, because the walls are where the drifts have collected."

That means all but 70 of the flock have been brought indoors to lamb. Those that are still outside are ewes that are only going to have a single lamb, and so won't be giving birth for another couple of weeks.

If the weather doesn't break before then, they'll be brought inside too.

"Having the sheep inside might seem easier," said Mr Dean.

"But it can lead to confusion between the sheep over whose lambs are whose. So we have to move them around into different pens to keep them separated. And of course the feed costs are massively increased."

But even though his sheep are costing much more to feed than if they were eating grass (the cake costs around £250 per tonne), at least Toft House Farm is accessible at the moment to have the feed brought in.

Others aren't so lucky. Rachael Gillbanks from the NFU says: "I've spoken to some farmers in the Dales who are worried that their feed stocks are running dangerously low, and they can't get any more delivered because the farm roads aren't accessible for the delivery trucks. Several are almost running out of cake and hay."

The good news for Angus is that this has been a good year for the lambs. The quantity and quality of the offspring from his mixed flock of Texels, Mules, Swaledales and Leicester Blues has been high, and prices at the moment are reasonably good.

But with hundreds of sheep yet to give birth, and with space in the sheep sheds at a premium, for Angus, and his neighbours, the thaw can't come soon enough.

But like all Dalesfolk, Mr Dean and his brother are nothing if not resilient. And tough though it is at the moment, a farm that could bounce back after losing the entire flock to the devastation of foot and mouth, will surely survive this

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Hospital Inspector To Name Failing NHS Trusts

A new Chief Inspector of Hospitals will name and shame failing NHS trusts in a shake-up sparked by the Mid Staffordshire scandal.

The new Chief Inspector will give hospitals Ofsted-style rankings for their performance and act as "whistleblower-in-chief".

If trusts fail to deliver, they could be put into a "failure regime" - the equivalent of special measures - and could end up in administration.

Failing NHS bosses will also be put on a blacklist to ensure they cannot just move to a different part of the organisation and keep working.

And NHS providers will have a new "statutory duty of candour" to ensure patients are fully informed if anything goes wrong with their care.

Trusts that fiddle mortality data figures could also face legal sanctions at a corporate level.

In further moves to restore a culture of compassion, student nurses will spend up to a year performing basic frontline work.

Hundreds of people may have died needlessly at Stafford Hospital

Initially under a pilot scheme, they will have to do a placement as a support worker or healthcare assistant in order to receive funding for their studies.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt unveiled the changes as he delivered the Government's initial response to the Francis report into Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

Robert Francis QC made 290 sweeping recommendations for healthcare regulators, providers and the Government.

As many as 1,200 patients may have died needlessly after they were "routinely neglected" at the hospital.

Many were left lying in their own urine and excrement for days, forced to drink water from vases or given the wrong medication.

The Health Secretary said the scandal was "a betrayal of the worse kind" and admitted it was "the NHS' darkest hour".

But he demanded that it become "not a byword for failure but a catalyst for change" as he set out a string of new measures.

He told MPs they would help embed a "culture of zero harm and compassionate care" with patients at its heart.

It is unclear how many of the 290 recommendations were taken up by the Government but a number of key measures were noticeably absent.

Mr Francis had called for a regulation system for healthcare assistants but Mr Hunt only announced a code of practice and minimum training standards.

He claimed a regulatory system would create a "bureaucratic quagmire".

The QC also wanted staff to be criminally liable as individuals if they harmed or killed patients but the Health Secretary is waiting on a further report before making a decision.

And instead of creating specialist registered nurses to look after elderly patients, Mr Hunt strengthened nurse training in the field.

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Choirmaster And Ex-Wife Jailed For Sex Abuse

By Nick Martin, News Correspondent

A choirmaster who sexually assaulted a pupil at a music school more than 30 years ago has been jailed for six years.

Michael Brewer, a former National Youth Choir music director, and his ex-wife were found guilty on five counts of indecently assaulting his student Frances Andrade more than 30 years ago.

During the trial, Ms Andrade, 48, was found dead at her home less than a week after she gave evidence against Brewer at Manchester Crown Court. She had reportedly killed herself.

The 68-year-old was convicted of sexually abusing her in his office at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester when she was aged 14 and 15.

Passing sentence, Judge Martin Rudland said: "You were, and may still be, a predatory sex offender. Of that let no-one be in any doubt.

"The extent of your breach of trust in this case cannot be overstated."

Frances Andrade gave evidence against Michael Brewer at his trial

Brewer's ex-wife, Kay Brewer, 68, was also convicted of indecently assaulting Mrs Andrade, then known as Shorney, when she was an adult at their former family home. She was sentenced to 21 months in prison.

The jury returned not guilty verdicts on charges that Brewer raped Mrs Andrade when she was aged 18 and that Mrs Brewer aided and abetted the attack.

Brewer was also cleared of one charge of indecently assaulting Mrs Andrade when she was a child in his home.

The Crown Prosecution Service decided to continue with the trial and the judge ruled that news of Mrs Andrade's death should be kept from jurors until after they reached their verdicts.

Mrs Andrade was visibly agitated on occasions as she gave her evidence over two days on January 16 and 17.

She chose to take to the witness box in full view of everyone in the courtroom, including the two defendants in the dock.

Michael Brewer was a teacher at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester

The jury heard that the police investigation was sparked by National Youth Choir teacher Jenavora Williams after Mrs Andrade, her friend, told her about her time at Chetham's.

The mother-of-four, from Guildford, Surrey, who was married to acclaimed viola player Levine Andrade, was supported from the public gallery by one of her sons.

At one point she complained about Brewer smiling as she gave her evidence, but she chose to press on without drawing a curtain to block off the dock.

The judge remarked that she was "clearly undergoing a cathartic experience, whatever the source" while giving evidence.

He said she was "combative" during cross-examination by Kate Blackwell QC, representing Brewer, adding that she had taken personal issue with some of the barrister's questions, although the judge indicated that Ms Blackwell had acted professionally.

Jurors were only told of Ms Andrade's death after reaching their verdicts

During the cross-examination, Mrs Andrade told her: "You are hugely insulting, even though it's your job."

Her son, Oliver Andrade, described his mother as "an amazing person", but appeared to criticise authorities for failing to provide more support despite two previous attempts to kill herself.

He said in a statement: "Like all people she was not impervious. Being repeatedly called a 'liar' and a 'fantasist' about a horrific part of her life in front of a court challenged her personal integrity and was more than even she could bear.

"She was forced to relive the many times Michael Brewer had sexually abused her as a child, both to the police on multiple occasions and in court to a hostile party."

Brewer went on to become the artistic director of the National Youth Choirs of Britain and has directed the World Youth Choir.

The judge told him: "The care and attention which you gave her, in so manipulative and depraved a way, were regarded by her as blessings.

"She was prepared to submit to almost anything, which clearly she did, as you pushed the boundaries further and further - treating her as your sexual plaything in the context of a false loving relationship which she readily accepted."

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UK Border Agency Back In Home Office Control

The UK Border Agency is being split in two and brought back under the control of the Home Office, Theresa May has announced.

The Home Secretary unveiled the shake-up in the Commons 24 hours after MPs published a damning report about the organisation's record.

Mrs May said the current agency was too big, not transparent enough, had failing IT systems and struggled to operate in the existing legal framework.

It will now become two separate operations, with an immigration and visa service assessing applications and an enforcement arm to trace people breaking the law.

Mrs May said: "The agency has been a troubled organisation since it was formed in 2008 and its performance is not good enough.

"In truth, the agency was not set up to absorb the level of mass immigration that we saw under the last Government.

"This meant the agency has never had the space to modernise its structures and systems and get on top of its workload."

It was a mistake to keep it at arms length from ministers because this "created a closed, secretive and defensive culture", she added.

A new board chaired by the Home Office permanent secretary will be formed to oversee every part of the immigration system.

There are also plans to modernise IT across the board to speed up case handling.

And in a move to make it easier to remove illegal immigrants, Mrs May said she intended to bring forward an immigration bill in the next parliament.

It is the second time the Home Secretary has had to shake up the agency in the wake of major criticism about its operations.

Last year, the Border Agency was divided from the Border Force - which handles frontline controls at ports - after it emerged hundreds of thousands of people had entered the UK without being checked against a watch list.

The latest changes follow a scathing report from the Home Affairs select committee which warned on Monday that UKBA's backlog would take 24 years to clear.

The committee also attacked the head of Britain's tax office Lin Homer for her "catastrophic leadership failure" when she ran the agency.

MPs were "astounded" that she was promoted to the £180,000-a-year role of chief executive of HM Revenue & Customs after her performance there.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper admitted the UKBA had suffered with problems for years but also claimed its record had worsened under Mrs May's watch.

"Enforcement has got worse, delays have got worse, 50% fewer people are being refused entry at ports and borders and you said the number of illegal immigrants removed does not keep up with the number here illegally - that's because you're letting rather more of them in," she said.

Ms Cooper highlighted a 34% cut in the UKBA budget and a 20% rise in the backlog of asylum cases in the last three months.

"Your reforms and your cuts is what has gone wrong throughout 2012. Why should we believe the latest round of reforms will do any better?," she asked.

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Lib Dem MP Mike Hancock To Be Investigated

Portsmouth City Council have launched an investigation into the conduct of the Liberal Democrat MP for Portsmouth South, Mike Hancock, who is also a local councillor in the area.

The council would not comment on the nature of the allegations against the MP.

They come at the same time as claims that Mr Hancock has allegedly been in an inappropriate relationship with a constituent who is a single mother with mental health problems.

The Lib Dem MP vigorously denies any wrongdoing.

In a statement the council's solicitor Michael Lawther said: "A sub-committee of Portsmouth City Council today decided to refer a complaint against Cllr Mike Hancock for investigation.

"The governance and audit and standards committee (assessment) sub-committee, made up of three councillors, considered evidence of a breach of the council's code of conduct and decided there was a case to answer. They made no judgement as to whether or not there had been a breach.

"I will now appoint an independent lawyer to carry out an investigation. We estimate the investigation will take two or three months. If a breach is proved against a councillor, they can be censured for their conduct."

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Qatar Tankers: Ships Dock In UK Amid Fuel Crisis

A gas tanker from Qatar is arriving in Britain as the wintry weather continues to deplete reserves.

The giant tanker, called Zarga, is due to dock in Milford Haven, Wales, carrying 266,000 cubic metres of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The arrival follows the weekend docking of the Mekaines tanker - also from Qatar - at the Isle of Grain in Kent.

Together the vessels carry enough gas to power Britain for 12 hours.

A third Qatari tanker is due to arrive on Friday, while a vessel from Trinidad also set sail for Britain on Saturday.

The unseasonal cold snap has increased demand for heating and electricity and gas stocks are down to 10% of capacity.

Britain continues to shiver in the unseasonal weather

"We get our supplies from a diverse range of sources and the market is proving to be highly responsive to the UK's needs," Energy Minister John Hayes said.

He reassured Britons there would be no danger of shortages, and that the energy regulator and the National Grid were closely monitoring the situation.

"The UK's gas needs continue to be met," he said.

Concerns were raised on Thursday when it emerged that Britain had only enough stored gas to meet two days' demand.

Things got worse on Friday when one of the key European supply pipelines - from Belgium - was suddenly shut down after a component failed.

The pipeline was back in operation later on Friday afternoon, but gas doubled in price on the UK's energy markets.

The price fell back again but the incident highlighted Britain's dependence on imported gas.

National Grid has not been forced to use any of its emergency powers to cut gas to industry and redirect it to domestic consumers.

The energy consumer Ofgem said: "While gas supplies are tight at the moment and there is no room for complacency, Britain does benefit from a diverse range of gas supplies and National Grid has many tools to manage the system and to prevent householders' supplies from being disrupted."

The fuel crisis comes as it emerged that gas imported from the US will heat as many as 1.8 million UK homes from 2018.

British Gas owner Centrica said the 20-year contract, worth £10bn, would play an important role in ensuring the UK's energy security.

The first shipments, from the Sabine Pass liquefaction plant in Louisiana, are not due until September 2018.

The deal with Cheniere Energy Partners for 89 billion cubic feet of annual liquefied natural gas (LNG) volumes is the first time that the UK has entered into a formal gas import agreement with the US.

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Prince Harry Returning To US After Vegas Scandal

Prince Harry will be returning to the US in May, but is not due to visit Las Vegas where he admits he "let himself down" when he was photographed frolicking naked with a woman.

St James's Palace said he would be representing a number of charities and the Government, with the central theme of the trip being supporting injured servicemen and women from both Britain and the US.

The photographs of the naked prince partying in 'Sin City' - which were published around the world - overshadowed the last visit.

And in January, the third-in-line to the throne admitted he was probably being "too much 'Army' and not enough 'prince'".

"At the end of the day I probably let myself down, I let my family down and let other people down, but I was in a private area and there should have been a certain amount of privacy that one should expect," he said.

In May, Harry will watch the opening ceremony of the Warrior Games, in which wounded troops compete in Paralympic-style competitions.

Prince Harry has followed his mother in anti-landmine campaigning

A British team is being formally entered in the annual event in Colorado Springs for the first time. Prince Harry has previously met troops who have taken part as individuals.

Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Harry's private secretary, said: "Prince Harry wants to highlight once again the extraordinary commitment and sacrifice of our injured servicemen and women - our wounded warriors.

"Although a Prince, Harry is also an operational soldier - indeed he's a soldier's soldier - therefore throughout this briefing the recurring theme is to help recognise and bring a spotlight onto the work being done to help these outstanding young men and women."

Also among his engagements will be a visit to Arlington National Ceremony, where more than 400,000 fallen American troops, veterans and their families are buried, and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre.

In Washington DC, Prince Harry will attend an exhibition on Capitol Hill about landmine clearing.

Earlier this month, it was announced that he would follow in the footsteps of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, by becoming the patron of the HALO Trust, which aims to clear landmines and unexploded ordnance from war-torn countries

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Boris Berezovsky's Body Removed From Home

Boris Berezovsky: A Profile

Updated: 10:23pm UK, Saturday 23 March 2013

Boris Berezovsky was once one of Russia's most powerful kingmakers, a member of the influential group of Russian tycoons referred to as the "oligarchs".

Born in Moscow in 1946, the son of a civil engineer, he gained a doctorate in applied mathematics, before becoming one of a number of Russian businessmen who took advantage of Perestroika.

He made his money founding the car company LogoVAZ in 1989, selling local Russian cars and importing Mercedes.

As his wealth grew so too did his sphere of influence and in 1993 he entered the Kremlin's inner circle, eventually earning the nickname Rasputin, after the mystic adviser to the Romanovs.

By the mid-1990s Mr Berezovsky owned a stake in the oil company Sibneft and had a majority share in Russia's main television channel, ORT.

In 1997 Forbes estimated his wealth was $3bn.

At Davos in 1996 he joined forces with other businessmen who had flourished in the ruins of the Soviet Union and they formed a pact, known as the "Davos Pact" in which they agreed to bank roll Boris Yeltsin for his second presidential run.

Together with members of Mr Yeltsin's family, like his daughter Tatyana Yumasheva, and like-minded politicians, like Anatoly Chubais, Yegor Gaidar and Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov, they effectively ran Russia during Mr Yetsin's second term as his health faltered.

When it was clear a successor was needed, it is said that it was Mr Berezovsky who hand-picked the ex-KGB head, Vladimir Putin.

He may have made him king but Mr Putin soon made it clear that he was not to be anyone's puppet and shortly after he became President the two men fell out.

Mr Berezovsky resigned from the Duma and set himself up in opposition then left the country on business. He never returned.

In November 2000, while travelling, he was summoned for economic crimes but he did not respond and set up home in London. He was granted asylum in the UK in 2003.

Mr Berezovsky vowed that he would bring Mr Putin down, but after a series of assassination attempts, he also lived in fear for his life.

According to Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian FSB agent who was assassinated in London in 2006, a Russian agent was preparing a hit on Mr Berezovsky in September 2003.

Mr Litvinenko had also claimed in 1998 when he was an FSB agent that he himself had been ordered to kill Mr Berezovsky.

In 2007, Scotland Yard said it had foiled a plot to assassinate Mr Berezovsky in the UK. The alleged hitman, a Chechen national, was arrested in London and deported to Russia.

Mr Berezovsky also survived an assassination attempt in Russia in 1994 when a car bomb exploded, wounding him and decapitating his driver.

And as Mr Berezovsky's power faded in his self-imposed exile, so did his wealth.

According to the Sunday Times Rich List by 2011, his net worth was only about $900m (£591m).

Mr Berezovsky's stake in Sibneft eventually led to a court battle with Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, which is estimated to have cost him £100m, and speculation about his financial well-being.

In 2012, he lost the High Court case in which he accused his fellow oligarch of breach of trust, breach of contract and claimed Mr Abramovich "intimidated" him into selling shares in Sibneft for a "mere $1.3bn" (£800m) - "a fraction of their true worth".

In July 2011 his ex-wife Galina Beshanrova, 53, won the biggest divorce settlement in history, said to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds.

Mr Berezovsky ran up further legal bills of more than £250,000 later in 2012 fighting a case against his former lover, Elena Gorbunova.

Ms Gorbunova, who had two children with Mr Berezovsky, complained that she had not been given millions promised by him.

On Wednesday, Mr Berezovsky sold Red Lenin, an Andy Warhol screen print, for £133,875 at Christie's auction house, prompting more speculation about his financial situation.

Demoralised by the Abramovich case, the Kremlin claims that Mr Berezovsky, the kingmaker, was a broken man in the days before he died.

He had written, Mr Putin's spokesman claimed, to beg forgiveness and to finally return to Russia.

He never did.

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London Fire: 100 Firefighters In Walworth

Nearly 100 firefighters are tackling a major fire which has engulfed a museum and library in south east London.

The blaze ripped through a building in Wansey St, Walworth, shortly after 12.30pm.

London Fire Brigade said 15 fire engines, with 97 firefighters, were at the scene.

There are currently no indications of how the fire started and no injuries have been reported, a fire brigade spokesman added.

The building houses Newington Library, a museum of Southwark's history and a one-stop shop for residents to access council services.

Leader of the council Peter John said: "Whilst our first concern is for the safety of residents and our staff, we are also worried about possible damage to the museum's collection.

"It does not appear at this time that surrounding buildings or any residential properties have been affected, but we will continue to monitor the situation very closely and continue to assist the emergency services where we can."

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Snow 'Winter War Zone' Hampers Rescue Efforts

Ice warnings are in place for much of Britain as the freezing cold weather conditions and snow continues to bring chaos to the roads and railways.

Drivers in snow-hit areas across the UK have been urged to postpone their journeys if possible, while train journeys have also been severely affected with services delayed or cancelled.

The AA has has said its patrols have faced a "winter war zone" - attending more than 1,100 call-outs to people either stuck in snow, ice or flood water since Thursday.

Huge snowdrifts - up to 15ft deep in some places - and abandoned vehicles are preventing energy companies from reaching some areas to restore power.

A man walks along a snow drenched road in Leeds, Yorkshire

Power has been restored to all 1,700 homes in Cumbria - but several thousands are still without electricity in other parts and many roads remain impassable with no end in sight to the severe weather gripping the UK.

Helicopters are being used to get engineers to affected properties in rural and exposed part of Northern Ireland.

Businesses have also suffered, while farmers - yet to recover from the disastrously sodden summer of 2012 - have said the Arctic weather has come at the worst possible time.

A motorist drives past snow covered trees near Dundrod in County Antrim

Blizzard conditions are claiming the lives of newborn lambs, affecting spring crops and forcing families to work all hours to try to keep stranded stock alive, according to the National Union of Farmers (NFU).

And the severe weather and bitterly cold temperatures are set to continue across most parts of the country right up until the weekend, forecasters have said.

This could mean the first white Easter in five years, as the nation enters British summertime.

The Met Office - which has extended its level 3 cold weather alert until Friday - has said there is a 90% chance the unseasonal cold snap will continue to keep large parts of Britain frozen for the rest of the week.

Farmer Roy Kerby feeds sheep after snowfall in Etwall, central England

Bitterly cold easterly winds will persist in the days to come, bringing snow showers to northeast England and light snow flurries across other parts.

It is a marked contrast to the warm spring weather the nation enjoyed this time last year.

On March 24, 2012, sun-seekers flocked to Brighton to bask in the sunshine and 18C (64.4F) heat. In comparison, the beach was deserted on Sunday with the temperature at just 2C (35.6F).

Some reports suggest Britain could be hit with a similar heatwave towards the end of spring.

But according to Sky News Weather Producer Jo Robinson: "Spring is a changeable season, with extremes possible. There's no evidence to suggest that a cold snap at the end of March means there will be a heatwave in April."

An abandoned car on the side of the road in the Briercliffe area of Burnley

A yellow warning - meaning be prepared for bad weather - is in place for north-east England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

But it is the ice that is causing the biggest concern, with large parts of the country being warned about the danger of black ice as commuters wrestle with journeys on foot, by car or public transport to work and back.

"Lying snow in many areas will melt on roads and pavements by day, refreezing by night to give icy patches," a Met Office spokesman said.

"Snow blowing off fields in strong to gale force winds will also affect some roads, especially over high ground."

Brighton beach - this time last year compared to this weekend

In northern England, many cross-Pennine routes remain blocked by drifting snow, including the Snake Pass and Woodhead Pass, between Manchester and South Yorkshire.

The Department for Transport has warned motorists to take precautions and only set off from home if they have checked the latest travel conditions.

A spokesman said: "The unseasonal weather is affecting transport networks. Our staff and other transport operators are working tirelessly around the clock to keep roads open, and keep other services running."

Sky's Mike McCarthy, in Buxton, Derbyshire, said: "What is happening is these bitterly cold easterly winds are making the snow drift over the roads, even when it has been cleared by the snow ploughs and gritters.

People clearing the road to access their homes in the village of Cargan

"We've seen a number of people struggling with the weather, some abandoned cars still, and in other parts of the country, Cumbria for example, they are saying 'don't return to your abandoned car just yet - contact the police first', because the conditions are still very severe."

The electricity grid has been hit by the wintry conditions over the past few days. Ice has packed onto power lines, causing them to buckle under the weight.

Engineers have been working to restore supplies to around 7,000 homes in Northern Ireland and 10,000 in Scotland, as well as 500 properties on the Isle of Man.

Some 3,500 people are cut off in Kintyre and 1,500 are without electricity on the Isle of Arran. The Caledonian MacBrayne ferry between the mainland and Arran was laden with engineering support to be deployed in the Island.

A snow covered narrow boat sits in a frozen canal in Birmingham

Sky's Scotland Correspondent, James Matthews, said: "Lorries carried generators and fresh telegraph poles. There was also a small fleet of outdoor catering vans which had been drafted off duty at commercial public events to come and supply islanders running short of supplies."

Emergency oxygen supplies had to be airlifted to an elderly man trapped by heavy snow in Northern Ireland.

Those living in remote areas there have been warned it could be days before they have electricity again, but water supply has now been restored to most of the 1,000 homes affected.

A man found dead in deep snow after he started walking home in severe weather has been named by police.

The body of Gary Windle, 25, was found by a farmer in Brierfield, near Burnley, in Lancashire, at around 1.30pm on Saturday.

Gary Windle (left) was found dead in deep snow near Burnley

Police said his death was not being treated as suspicious and there were indications it was a "very tragic incident" after he started walking home from a night out with friends.

On Friday, a woman, named locally as Susan Norman, died when her house in Looe, Cornwall, collapsed during a landslip following torrential rain.

A 57-year-old hill walker, named by police as James Jack, died in the Scottish Highlands, although police said it was not clear whether his death was linked to the poor weather.

Sky News Weather Presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said the heavy snow had subsided but added: "As we head towards this Easter weekend, it's going to remain unsettled, In fact, on Good Friday, there's the risk of more widespread snow."

Bookmaker Ladbrokes has cut the odds of snow at Easter to 4/5 after taking a flurry of bets in the past 48 hours.

Forecasters have predicted it could be the coldest March in 50 years. In 1962, average temperatures for the month were 2.8C (37F).

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