Schools closed and roads blocked as snow falls

People were out walking in the snow in Cullercoats on North Tyneside

Schools are closed and traffic came to a standstill as parts of north-east England were blanketed with snow.

Most of the region is under a Met Office yellow warning for snow and ice until 21:00 GMT, with frequent wintry showers and significant snow build-up expected.

About a dozen schools have closed their doors with some saying conditions on the roads are unsafe for staff and students.

Traffic was also disrupted by the weather, including on the A1 in Northumberland between Morpeth and Alnwick, which came to a standstill as HGVs blocked the road, and a car overturned on the A19 near Sunderland.

National Highways said two HGVs had blocked the A1 "as a result of the snow" during the morning rush hour.

At 10:20, it said the road had been cleared and traffic was moving again.

A car overturned on the A19 at about 08:00 but National Highways said it did not have an indication as to what caused the incident.

The vehicle was recovered and the lane reopened a couple of hours later.

A car overturned on the A19 near Sunderland

The Met Office yellow weather warning is in place until 21:00 GMT

The headteacher at Duchess's Community High School in Alnwick, Northumberland, shut the school saying he tried to get into the town by various routes but it was becoming increasingly unsafe to do so.

Elsewhere, Lockwood Primary School in Boosbeck, near Saltburn-by-the-Sea, closed, saying conditions on the roads around it were getting worse.

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Public transport was affected too.

Arriva North East said the 81 between Kirkleatham Village and Guisborough was unable to run because vehicles were getting stuck on the bank on the B1269 near Dunsdale.

The X3/5A was unable to reach Lingdale in the Redcar and Cleveland area because of snow and stuck vehicle, the bus company said.

Snow settled near Alnmouth Station

A cold weather alert for England was issued by the UK Health Security Agency, which is in place until Saturday.

It said there could be "significant" impacts to the elderly and people with health conditions.

The Moses Project, in Stockton, was among those to urgently call for donations of sleeping bags, coats and other cold weather gear.

"The cold the snow and the ice are hitting the homeless hard," the addiction charity said.

Snow fell overnight in Forest Hall, North Tyneside

Kayll Road Library Community Hub in Sunderland opened despite the snow