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| Heavy snow leads to travel chaos | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Heavy overnight snow in parts of east and south Kent have lead to hazardous driving conditions and school closures. | Heavy overnight snow in parts of east and south Kent have lead to hazardous driving conditions and school closures. |
| Up to 15cm (6in) has fallen in some areas and strong winds have caused drifting in places. | |
| The weather has caused problems for motorists using the M20, A2 and A258, while rail passengers have been warned to expect delays and cancellations. | The weather has caused problems for motorists using the M20, A2 and A258, while rail passengers have been warned to expect delays and cancellations. |
| Eurotunnel has suspended services at Folkestone amid safety concerns getting lorries on to trains in the snow. | |
| Eurostar trains earlier faced delays of up to two hours because of a points failure on rail tracks in Kent. | |
| Stranded ambulance | Stranded ambulance |
| Two trains to Paris and one to Brussels were delayed. | |
| But High Speed One, which operates the section of track, said the problem was unrelated to the weather conditions. | |
| MORE SNOW HITS ENGLAND Blanket of snow across East Sussex Further snow forecast for Norfolk | |
| About 200 schools in the area between Margate and south of Ashford have closed for the day. | |
| The pharmaceutical firm Pfizer's research and development site in Sandwich is also shut, affecting 2,500 members of staff. | |
| And engineers have been trying to restore power to residents and businesses in the Deal area after the electricity went off in the early hours. | |
| The snow started falling in Kent and East Sussex on Wednesday evening, with many drivers taking hours to get home. | |
| More snow is also forecast later for Norfolk, where drivers are currently facing icy conditions. | |
| Dover's coastguard was called on to help dig out a stranded ambulance in the town. | Dover's coastguard was called on to help dig out a stranded ambulance in the town. |
| A spokesman said four of its 4x4 vehicles were helping to transfer staff and patients to and from hospitals in Eastbourne and Hastings. | |
| Kent Fire and Rescue Service said it had received "a few" calls from motorists stuck in snow drifts in parts of the county including Margate and Lydd. | Kent Fire and Rescue Service said it had received "a few" calls from motorists stuck in snow drifts in parts of the county including Margate and Lydd. |
| 'Roads passable' | |
| Kent County Council said all primary routes and secondary routes where possible had been gritted on Wednesday afternoon ahead of the snow showers. | Kent County Council said all primary routes and secondary routes where possible had been gritted on Wednesday afternoon ahead of the snow showers. |
| Ch Insp Simon Black, of Kent Police, said all main routes in the county were "passable with care" but some were down to a single lane. | Ch Insp Simon Black, of Kent Police, said all main routes in the county were "passable with care" but some were down to a single lane. |
| He told BBC Radio Kent that drivers should only journey out in the south and east of the county if absolutely necessary. | He told BBC Radio Kent that drivers should only journey out in the south and east of the county if absolutely necessary. |
| Cross-channel sailings from Dover's eastern docks with P&O Ferries and SeaFrance to Calais, Norfolkline to Dunkirk and LD Lines to Boulogne are running normally, with space available on all services. | |
| However, a Port of Dover spokesman advised passengers to allow extra time due to the severe weather conditions in the Dover area. |