Ecstasy: Police Warning After Third Death

By Nick Martin, North Of England Correspondent

Police in northwest England are warning drug users that a possible contaminated batch of ecstasy tablets could be on the streets.

It comes after two men died in Greater Manchester and another collapsed and died in Liverpool.

Up to six other people were admitted to hospital with symptoms including shaking, shivering and complaints of a fever.

Detective Chief Inspector Howard Millington from Wigan CID, talking about the men who died in Greater Manchester, said: "We are very concerned at how these deaths of two apparently fit young men have occurred.

"It is possible that they are linked and this is something we are exploring as part of the investigation.

"Our main concern is that there may be a contaminated quantity of illegal drugs and if this goes unchecked it could result in further deaths.

"If you are suffering adverse effects after taking one of these tablets I would advise you to go to hospital for a check up.

"I would always urge people not to take illegal drugs and remind them that you do not know what they have been made up with. They can contain poisons and illicit chemicals that can have potentially fatal effects."

The ecstasy tablets are said to be heart-shaped in purple, green, yellow and blue.

The men who died in Greater Manchester were 19-year-old Jordan Chambers, who was treated at the Royal Oldham Hospital on Sunday and 28-year-old Gareth Ashton, who died at Wigan Infirmary on Monday. Both had similar symptoms.

In Liverpool, a 26-year-old man collapsed and died in the early hours of Sunday. Merseyside Police say they believe it was drugs related.

A spokesman said: "Emergency services were called at about 3.30am to a guest house in Tuebrook to a report that a male guest was unwell and had collapsed. Paramedics attended and the 26-year-old was taken to hospital where he unfortunately died a short time later.

"Although the investigation is in the early stages it appears that the deceased man visited Liverpool on Saturday and is believed to have taken tablets, possibly ecstasy somewhere in the city."

Anyone with information has been urged to phone police on 0161 856 7149 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Defence Cuts: 5,300 Soldiers To Lose Jobs

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

More than 5,000 soldiers will be made redundant in the latest round of job cuts, the Government has announced.

The Army will bear the heaviest burden in this third wave of redundancies because the Navy and RAF have already completed most of their necessary cuts.

It was confirmed in a written ministerial statement that up to 5,300 soldiers will lose their jobs.

"Throughout the redundancy process, we will ensure that we retain the capabilities that our Armed Forces require in order to meet the challenges of the future," Defence Minister Mark Francois said.

Anyone serving in Afghanistan when the redundancy notices are issued on June 18 this year will be exempt from the cuts.

It will also not affect soldiers recovering from a recent tour of duty or those preparing to deploy within the next six months.

No-one will actually be made redundant immediately and the 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.

Around 9,000 British personnel are deployed to Afghanistan

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.

By the end of the process, the Army will have shrunk to 82,000 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 written statement said; "There is likely to be a need for a further tranche for Army personnel and medical and dental personnel from the RN and RAF in due course."

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 have 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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Sun Reporter Faces Corruption Charges

A Sun journalist and a former police officer will be charged over alleged corrupt payments, prosecutors said.

Ex-Metropolitan Police constable Paul Flattley and the Sun's defence editor Virginia Wheeler are accused of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office.

It is alleged that Flattley was paid at least £4,000 in cheques and £2,450 in cash in exchange for information, including about the death of a 14-year-old girl.

Principal legal advisor to the Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Levitt QC said: "We have concluded, following a careful review of the evidence, that former Metropolitan Police Service police constable Paul Flattley and Virginia Wheeler, a journalist at the Sun newspaper, should be charged with conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office.

"It is alleged that between May 25, 2008 and September 13, 2011 Flattley, who at the time was a serving police constable with the Metropolitan Police Service, was paid at least £4,000 (in the form of cheques) and £2,450 (in cash) by the Sun newspaper in exchange for information provided in breach of the terms of his employment.

"The information provided included information about the tragic death of a 14-year-old girl, as well as details about both suspects and victims of accidents, incidents and crimes.

"This included, but was not limited to, information about high-profile individuals and those associated with them."

More follows...

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Devon Murder: Woman Charged Over Son's Death

A woman has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with murdering her two-year-old son.

Angela Vane, 40, appeared before magistrates in Torquay, charged with the murder of Shaun Riley O'Neill.

Vane, of Champernowne in Modbury, Plymouth, spoke only to confirm her name, age and date of birth.

Wearing a beige cardigan and a striped top, she wept throughout the two-minute hearing, flanked by two female security guards.

She was remanded in custody to appear at Plymouth Crown Court on Wednesday.

She is expected to enter a plea in April, the court heard.

Police were called to Champernowne at 8am on Saturday following a report to officers.

Police have carried out door-to-door inquiries and initial forensic work, although it is believed a post-mortem examination has yet to be carried out.

That process is expected to take place in the coming days by a Home Office pathologist or specialist paediatric pathologist.

On Sunday detectives re-appealed for information from the public.

Devon and Cornwall Police said they want to hear from witnesses who may have seen a woman in Modbury in the early hours of Saturday morning.

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British Grandfather Wrestles Shark in Oz

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

An heroic British holidaymaker has wrestled a 2m (6ft) shark off the Australian coast to stop beachgoers being attacked.

Paul Marshallsea, 62, from Wales, was on a month's break with his family when the shark swam right up to swimmers and children paddling on the shore on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

A local TV crew, which was on the beach filming another story, captured the moment when Mr Marshallsea and another man ran into the water and grabbed the shark by its tail in an attempt to get it to swim away.

At one point the shark is seen thrashing about in the water as Mr Marshallsea holds on, trying to stop it lunging at beachgoers. It eventually breaks free, pushing him over.

The grandfather, from Merthyr Tydfil, told Wales Online: "We got hold of his tail and pulled with all our might to get the shark back into deep enough water so that the poor thing could survive.

"While I was pulling the shark by the tail back into deeper water her 2ft-long babies were swimming through my legs. They must have got lost and marooned by the shallow sand banks and got beached.

"But the trouble was when we got the shark to just over knee deep it then turned on us and just missed me with a bite which was a fraction away from my leg.

"A shark that one minute ago was so docile now just nearly took my leg off in a split second - it was that quick."

Holidaymakers and locals watched as the men tried to persuade the distressed dusky whaler shark to head back out to sea. 

Lifeguards on the beach advised the men to stay clear of the shark, but in the end the man helping Mr Marshallsea managed to push it out to deeper waters.

Lifesaver Luke Turner was on duty at the time and told Sky News: "A shark beaching itself means one of two things, it wants to die because it is either really sick or because it's really hungry."

Tourist Tash Kimlin was with her family at Bulcock Beach when the drama happened.

She shouted out to her two young children when the alarm was raised.

"It was pretty scary, yeah, I was just calling out to them and they couldn't really understand what I was saying," she said.

The dusky shark, which reaches 4.2m (14ft) in length and weighs 347 kg (765 lb), is considered dangerous to humans and has been known to attack.

It has a slender, streamlined body and can be identified by its short round snout, long sickle-shaped pectoral fins, the ridge between its first and second dorsal fins, and faintly marked fins.

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Woman Dies After Collapsing In Snow In Kent

A 25-year-old woman found collapsed in the snow could have died after falling in sub-zero temperatures after a night out, Kent police said.

The woman was discovered by a man walking his dog in Church Meadows in Deal at 7.30am on Sunday morning.

Police are still investigating the cause of death but confirmed they are looking at the possibility that the woman, who was believed to be visiting the area, got into difficulties as she made her way to her sister's house, which was near to where she was found.

A Kent Police spokesman said: "There are other possibilities we are looking out but one theory is that this is a tragic accident where a young woman was on her way home from a night out, but she didn't make it to where she was staying.

"We don't know if that was because of the cold, or she slipped or she was drunk or she became ill."

Earlier, police said the woman was pronounced dead at the scene and the death was not being treated as suspicious but it was unexplained.

A post-mortem examination will be held later this week.

One person also died following a crash in snowy conditions on the A12 near Kelvedon in Essex about 7pm on Sunday.

Police said that a car had left the road and crashed into a tree on the embankment.

The driver, a 59-year-old man from the Colchester area, died at the scene. His passenger, a 57-year-old woman, also from the Colchester area, was taken to hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.

Also in Kent, a man was taken to hospital with broken bones in his face when he was racially attacked after confronting a group of youngsters throwing snowballs at him.

And a teenager was left fighting for his life after suffering head injuries in a sledging accident in Middlesbrough.

Also, a young woman who was seriously hurt in an avalanche that killed four of her friends in the Scottish Highlands remains in a critical condition in hospital.

Freezing temperatures and icy conditions are once again causing delays and disruption this morning, as the working week begins with snow still falling across much of the UK.

Hundreds of schools have already been shut, with motorists urged to take extra time and care on icy roads.

Spennymore in County Durham

As much as 10 to 20cm (four to eight inches) of snow is expected across Scotland and northern England, prompting the Met Office to issue amber warnings which urge the public to be prepared.

Yellow warnings - which advise people to take extra care - continue for parts of the north, east and southeast England as well as Northern Ireland, where up to five centimetres (around two inches) of snow could fall. 

"Today's snowiest areas will be northeast England and eastern Scotland," said Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang.

"Although sleety on the east coast, it will be snow inland where 10 to 20cm is forecast. Drifting snow, poor visibility and blizzard conditions are likely over higher routes.

"The snow will continue in the northeast tonight and into Tuesday although it should turn drier across northeast England.

"Later tonight and during Tuesday morning the weather is set to deteriorate across the southwest with the potential for some heavy snow across South Wales and parts of southwest England."

The temperatures will not start rising until the weekend, said Lang.

"Until then there will be further problems with ice and snow and daytime temperatures will continue to struggle to climb much above freezing," she said.

"Wednesday and Thursday look largely dry and cold with ice and patchy fog.

"Friday should see a slow change spread eastwards and westerly winds bring a rise in temperature later and a slow thaw."

A man walks his dog in the snow in Gunthorpe, Nottinghamshire

In South Wales and the south and east England, the Met Office is warning motorists of treacherous icy conditions.

Heavy snowfall has closed two major roads across the Pennines, the A628 Woodhead Pass and the A66 between Brough and Bowes.

The Highways Agency said both routes would be closed for some hours and advised drivers to find alternative routes across the Pennines.

Heavy falls in the North East made for a tricky morning commute for many. Northumbria Police said the A68 in Northumberland was blocked, with problems at its junction with the A69.

Drivers were advised to avoid the B6341 at Rothbury and reported a four-vehicle collision on the Spine Road at Cramlington, next to the 3 Horse Shoes roundabout.

Officers also said the A1 in the Newcastle area suffered traffic congestion.

There is also another day of snow and ice-related delays and cancellations on the country's rail network.

Virgin Trains warned of some cancellations in its services between London and Birmingham and the North West, while services into London King's Cross were also affected.

Raby Castle in County Durham

Eurostar said snow and ice in the UK and northern France were leading to speed restrictions and delays on all its trains. Six services were also cancelled, with customers told they could exchange their tickets for another date.

South West Trains said it was running a revised timetable throughout its network because of the weather, and would be concentrating on its mainline services.

The company said there would be no services between Ascot in Berkshire and Ash Vale in Surrey, between Virginia Water and Weybridge, or from Salisbury to Bristol. It was also running revised timetables on other routes.

Southern said trains were unable to operate between Lewes and Haywards Heath in Sussex or between Horsham and Dorking or Reigate and Redhill in Surrey. The Southern service between South Croydon and Milton Keynes was also suspended.

At Heathrow Airport planes are due to be grounded for a fourth day and passengers are advised to check the status of their flights before travelling to the airport. More than 160 flights have been cancelled - about 10% of the day's capacity.

Flights have also been suspended at Leeds Bradford, Doncaster Sheffield, Norwich airports and East Midlands airports.

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Scotland Avalanche: Prayers For Four Victims

Prayers will be said today for four people who died in an avalanche in the Scottish Highlands.

The Rev Moira Herkes, who will lead a private service at St Munda's Church in Glencoe, said it was "the worst accident to happen here for many years" and that the victims would not be forgotten.

The climbers were among a party of six on Bidean Nam Bian, a mountain near Glencoe.

It is believed they were descending from a peak on the south side of the valley when the snow-covered slope they were crossing broke away, engulfing five of them and sending them hundreds of feet down the mountain.

Bidean Nam Bian is a mountain with a height in excess of 3,000ft

Emergency services were alerted to the accident at about 2pm yesterday and a major search operation involving two mountain rescue teams and police dogs was launched.

The four people - two men and two women - were found dead beneath the snow.

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.

The avalanche occurred on a slope in Glencoe

"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.

All of the missing climbers, who are yet to be named, 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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Hostage Crisis: Three Britons Confirmed Dead

Three Britons have been killed and another three are believed to have died in the Algerian hostage crisis, David Cameron has announced.

The Prime Minister said a British resident is also thought to have been killed in the four day stand-off in the desert which dramatically ended on Saturday.

Mr Cameron called the deaths at the In Amenas gas plant an "appalling terrorist incident" and said every effort was being made to help surviving hostages come home.

The death toll includes the Briton already known to have died on Wednesday in the initial raid staged by a band of Islamist militants.

Mr Cameron said: "We now know that three British nationals have been killed, and a further three are believed to be dead. A further British resident is also believed to be dead.

Freed British hostages Peter (left) and Alan (right). No surnames available

"I know the whole country will want to join me in sending our sympathies and condolences to the families who have undergone an absolutely dreadful ordeal, and now face life without these very precious loved ones."

He continued: "The priority now must be to get everybody home from Algeria."

Mr Cameron said the attack was a "stark reminder" of the continuing terrorist threat and vowed to use Britain's chairmanship of the G8 to ensure that it was at the top of the international agenda.

"This is a global threat and it will require a global response. It will require a response that is about years, even decades, rather than months," he said.

"It requires a response that is patient and painstaking, that is tough but also intelligent, but above all has an absolutely iron resolve and that is what we will deliver over these coming years."

Algerian police escort freed Norwegian hostage Oddvar Birkedal

So far, in total, 23 hostages and 32 terrorists are known to have died with 107 foreign workers and 685 local employees released.

Despite the high death toll, the Prime Minister refused to criticise Algeria's handling of the crisis.

"The responsibility for these deaths lies squarely with the terrorists who launched these vicious and cowardly attacks," he said.

"When you are dealing with a terrorist incident on this scale with up to 30 terrorists it is extremely difficult to respond and get this right in every respect."

He added: "What we face is an extremist, Islamist, al Qaida-linked terrorist group. Just as we had to deal with that in Pakistan and in Afghanistan so the world needs to come together to deal with this threat in north Africa.

"It is linked to al Qaida, it wants to destroy our way of life, it believes in killing as many people as it can.

"We need to work with others to defeat the terrorists and to close down the ungoverned spaces where they thrive with all the means that we have."

Foreign Secretary William Hague said 22 British nationals had survived the crisis and already back in the UK.

Britain's ambassador is currently in Algiers and will travel to the south of the country today to help any other Britons trying to leave.

An Algerian army truck in a street of In Amenas, near the gas plant

The drama started on Wednesday when a group of around 30 heavily-armed militants mounted a dawn raid on the plant which is close to the Libyan border.

They seized hostages from among the 700 Algerian and foreign workers at the site. Two members of staff, including one Briton, died in the initial assault.

Algerian special forces mounted an operation to take back the plant 24 hours later, without informing any other governments in advance.

The Algerians insisted later that they had to act due to fears that the militants were about to flee into the desert, taking hostages with them.

Fears for the hostages' safety grew amid reports of fierce fighting and multiple deaths.

By Friday, it was being claimed that around 100 foreigners - from a total of 132 - and 573 Algerians had been freed.

Provisional figures put the death toll at 12 hostages and 18 militants but it was clear one group of terrorists was still holding out.

On Saturday, Algerian troops launched a final assault on the site and brought the stand-off to a bloody conclusion.

The state news agency, APS, reported that the terrorists had executed seven of the remaining hostages before they themselves were killed.

Troops later found an arsenal of six machine guns, 21 rifles, two shotguns, two 60mm mortars with shells, six 60mm missiles with launchers, two rocket-propelled grenades with eight rockets and 10 grenades in explosive belts.

The terrorists also booby-trapped the sprawling plant with explosives before the last shoot-out.

Algerian police guard the entrance of a hospital located near the gas plant

Algeria's interior ministry has strongly defended the rescue operation.

"To avoid a bloody turn of events in response to the extreme danger of the situation, the army's special forces launched an intervention with efficiency and professionalism to neutralise the terrorist groups that were first trying to flee with the hostages and then blow up the gas facilities," it said in a statement.

The kidnappers are part of the Masked Brigade - a terrorist splinter group led by the veteran jihadist, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, which broke away from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

They initially claimed the attack was in retaliation for the French military intervention in neighbouring Mali.

It was subsequently reported that they were demanding the release of two terrorists held in the US, including 1993 World Trade Centre bombing mastermind Omar Abdel Rahman, in return for the release of two US captives.

Algerian security forces escort a bus carrying freed hostages

The plant at In Amenas is jointly operated by BP, Norwegian company Statoil and Algerian state oil company Sonatrach.

As freed hostages began to leave the plant, accounts emerged of their horrific treatment at the hands of the kidnappers.

One Algerian worker, who gave his name only as Chabane, described how he heard the militants talking with Libyan, Egyptian and Tunisian accents.

At one point, he said, they caught a Briton.

"They threatened him until he called out in English to his friends, telling them 'Come out, come out. They're not going to kill you. They're looking for the Americans'," he said.

"A few minutes later they blew him away."

The gas plant is in the desert in In Amenas

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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 - and a red, severe warning for South Wales which experienced the worst of the weather.

"There will be a quite significant accumulation and it will be seen first in London and the South East before moving north later in the day."

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

The Sky News weather team said: "Central and southeast England will see persistent snow moving in, giving another 2-5cm, locally more near the coast.

"Most other places will be dry, with the best of any sunshine over northern Scotland and Ireland, but there will be a few snow flurries around.

"During the afternoon, snow will push a little further north over eastern England, while another band of rain, sleet and snow will move into Kerry and Cork. It will feel cold again, particularly in the raw wind.

"On Monday, north-east Britain will have snow and strong winds, but elsewhere it will be drier and calmer."

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."

A woman sleeping on the floor at Heathrow's Terminal 5

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

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.

BA and the airport have insisted they were doing everything they could in difficult circumstances.

Travellers at regional airports including Leeds Bradford, Humberside and Newcastle were also frustrated by delays and disruption caused by the wintry weather.

Liverpool John Lennon and Manchester airports were running normally but advised passengers to check with their airlines.

Train passengers did not fare much better, with reduced services across the country.

Virgin Trains cancelled a number of services from the capital to Birmingham and Manchester, and others were delayed.

Some have been making the most of the snow this weekend

The freezing temperatures also 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.

:: 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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Weather: Snow And Ice Causes Heathrow Misery

Hundreds of flights have already been cancelled on another day of weather misery for Britain after heavy snow gave way to ice.

Passengers at Heathrow Airport in west London faced further disruption after many were stranded on planes for seven hours or forced to sleep on the floor.

More than 100 flights have been cancelled, which will add to the chaos caused by the cancellation of more than 400 on Friday.

Elsewhere, drivers are being warned of treacherous conditions after heavy snow on Friday across much of Britain turned to ice overnight.

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.

The Met Office is forecasting less snow for Saturday but has issued yellow warnings for ice for large swathes of the country.

Planes grounded at Heathrow Airport

With more heavy snow possible on Sunday, the Highways Agency has said its fleet of snow ploughs and gritters will be out in force throughout the weekend.

Heathrow said its runways were open on Saturday with no restrictions, but services were still being disrupted following Friday's heavy snow.

Of 104 flights cancelled on Saturday, 100 were with British Airways, which has faced criticism for its handling of the disruption so far.

Husband and wife David and Janet Brindle, from Cumbria, branded BA's customer service and treatment of passengers caught up in the chaos as "appalling" and said some people had been close to tears.

The couple sat on a plane at Manchester airport from 9am until 3pm on Friday and have been stuck at Heathrow since missing their connecting flight to New Zealand.

Mrs Brindle said: "They got us off the plane but our bags weren't off. Not a single person came to tell us what was happening.

"Most people missed their connecting long-haul flights from Heathrow. We were advised to make our own way to Heathrow, so that's what we did.

A woman sleeping on the floor at Heathrow

"Nobody knew what they were doing. They couldn't tell us anything - they were quite rude, actually."

British Airways said in a statement: "We are doing everything we can to help customers whose flights have been disrupted by severe weather.

"We are also offering customers who no longer wish to travel today and tomorrow the option to rebook their flight to a later date.

"Due to the severe weather yesterday, there will be knock-on disruption to flights today and we would strongly advise customers to check the very latest status of their flight via ba.com before coming to the airport."

Some passengers on British Airways flights told Sky News that they have spent up to seven hours on aircraft which have never left the runway.

Sky Reporter Clare Fallon, at Heathrow, said: "It's a surreal sight, there are hundreds of people on the floor trying to get some sleep because they are essentially stranded here. Some have told me they have been here since 11am yesterday morning.

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled since Friday

"People feel very frustrated and stressed, and they don't understand how a relatively small amount of snow has been able to cause so much chaos."

Flights in and out of Gatwick escaped major disruption yesterday, but the airport advised passengers flying out this weekend to contact their airlines to check flight status.

The Highways Agency said several motorway lanes and major A roads had closed due to the snow and ice, as well as several crashes.

Drivers have been warned to be extra careful as freezing temperatures turn the snow to treacherous ice.

The deepest snowfall has been measured at 26cm in Sennybridge, Wales, although snow has been thawing in other areas and some train services have been returning to normal.

There have also been severe hold-ups for rail passengers, with many companies cancelling services to help them cope with problems caused by the weather. Train firms are advising passengers to check with operators before travelling.

But while commuters have been facing misery, the winter wonderland scenes have brought joy to thousands of youngsters who were given the day off school.

Few parts of the UK will escape the wintry weather as it continues into the weekend.

:: Send in your weather photos and videos

There is up to 10cm of snow likely in northern and eastern England as well as Ireland and southern and eastern Scotland on Saturday. Snow elsewhere will be lighter but it will be bitterly cold.

Sunday could also bring persistent but light snow to southeast England and some flurries for Scotland.

Darron Burness, from the AA, said commuting in the wintry conditions was "likely to test man and machine".

Those who decide to travel have been urged to travel prepared with a fully charged mobile phone, warm waterproof clothes, boots and a blanket, some food and drink, and have a torch, ice scraper, de-icer and a shovel.

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