Energy firm Ineos said it was cutting its gas consumption at one of its plants to help meet the increased domestic demand.

A spokesman said: "Following consultation with National Grid, Ineos has agreed to reduce natural gas consumption at its Runcorn plant by 20%.

"The plant, which is responsible for the chlorine that treats 98% of the UK's drinking water, will ensure continued supply by using power from its fuel from waste plant."

Gas supply fears as cold snap continues

These were the winter scenes in the wilds of Weardale, County Durham, today.

Amy Willis had been unable to get to work so spent the day helping out on her boyfriend's farm near Stanhope.

Image source, Amy WIllis

Image source, Amy Willis

Image source, Amy Willis

Meanwhile in neighbouring Teesdale, pregnant sheep were rescued by farmer Emma Spry.

BBC Tees
www.bbc.co.uk/BBCTees

Image source, Alex Chandy

Alex Chandy, 19, from Peterlee, was in his car with his girlfriend when they crashed on the A19.

The Northumbria University student told BBC Tees: “I’m just in shock to be honest, both of us in the car are pretty lucky to come away without serious injuries.

“I was the first car that started it all off to be honest, just before Peterlee a huge gust of wind just hit my car, I couldn’t see a thing, next thing I know we’re spinning round and round and we hit the central reservation, the same thing occurred with the car behind us.

“The car hit right in the side of us, and that created a domino effect and 14 cars behind us have all crashed."

BBC Weather

BBC Sport

Image source, Gillingham FC

Snow and freezing weather is beginning to cause disruption to sporting fixtures scheduled for the coming days.

Four Super League fixtures on Thursday and Friday have been postponed, with most of the UK under weather warnings for snow and ice until Saturday.

Saturday's Scottish Premiership match between St Johnstone and Hamilton is off, as is Sheffield United against Burton in the Championship.

Airports around the UK are closing or warning of severe disruption, while snow across Europe is affecting arrivals as well as departures. Here's the latest:

• Glasgow Airport, external is closed until at least Friday morning
• Edinburgh Airport, external will be closed from 18:00 GMT, but flights are already being cancelled - including all Ryanair flights
• Flights are being cancelled at Heathrow, external, Gatwick , externaland Stansted, external, and passengers are being urged to check before they travel
• Manchester Airport, external remains open but has tweeted a list of cancelled flights, external
• Birmingham Airport, external is "open and operational" but some airlines have cancelled flights
• All Ryanair and some Jet2 flights are cancelled from East Midlands Airport
• All flybe flights from Cardiff Airport, external have been cancelled. Customers are advised to check other airlines before they travel

• Bristol Airport, external is open but the airport says a number of flights for Friday morning are being cancelled
• At Exeter Airport, external, the runway is closed and Flybe have cancelled all their flights
• Leeds Bradford Airport, external is reporting delays and the Jet2 and Ryanair airlines have cancelled all flights departing Thursday

The RSPCA has issued advice for looking after pets in these freezing temperatures.

• Cats should have constant access to the house or to a warm, inside area such as an outbuilding or barn with appropriate heating
• Elderly dogs should be provided with a special coat or jumper to keep them warm when you are out on walks
• Birds in aviaries, coops, or runs should be protected from the cold weather. Provide plenty of additional dry, warm bedding such as straw and cover enclosures to keep the wind and rain out
• If you have a fish pond check it every day to make sure the surface is not entirely frozen as poisonous gases can build up under the ice
• If outside temperatures reach freezing outside, rabbits and guinea pigs should be brought indoors

For more advice regarding the care of pets and other animals, visit the RSPCA's website., external

BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, Lee Salmon

Lee Salmon is a paramedic with the Great North Air Ambulance Service and was first on the scene after a woman gave birth on the A66 near Darlington.

Lee told BBC Radio 5 live that luckily everything had gone well.

"Mum and dad had done a sterling job, dad had managed to find a safe place to park – albeit surrounded by snow - and managed to help mum deliver the baby themselves,” he said.

“We didn’t actually have to do a huge amount – simple things - kept baby warm, kept mum warm and reassured the parents that they’d done exactly the right thing... It was a good team effort”.

The new family have been taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital.

BBC Radio Cornwall

Hundreds of new-born lambs are having to cope with the unusually cold weather.

Sheep farmer Steve Penberthy, from a farm near Helston, said they were doing well so far.

He said: "When they're in the field, the ewes will barricade them from the wind. They seem to cope fine.

"Snow changes things - we have to put hay and silage out for them. Our colleagues in the north of England have been doing that for the last two months, so we're quite lucky down here."

As the snow starts coming down in south Wales, a Llanelli-based company is still trying to get lorries back from Scotland and the north-east of England.

Owens Transport has had 31 vehicles stuck since Tuesday, with 252 struggling with deliveries on UK roads.

It could take between seven and 10 days for the company to catch up with deliveries, the company said.

Railway lines in Scotland remain closed with large parts of the country still covered in a deep layer of snow.

A statement from Network Rail Scotland read: "We will not reopen individual routes and no trains will run in affected areas until it is safe to do so."

Image source, NetworkRail Scotland

Image source, NetworkRail Scotland

Image source, NetworkRail Scotland

You might have heard the song Castles in the Sand – here’s a castle in the snow, taken by Hayley Dighton in Caerphilly, Wales.

Image source, Hayley Dighton

Police are urging drivers to stay off the roads in Devon and to "drive to conditions" in Cornwall.

They advised everyone to prepare for disruptive snow and freezing rain.

Scottish and Southern electricity networks has said it is on "yellow alert" for central southern England and northern Scotland as more snow and wind is expected into Friday.

Around 2,000 staff are being made available across the regions and welfare and hot food vans have been moved to areas that are forecast to be impacted, as part of the preparations.

As of 13:30 GMT on Thursday, the network said it was dealing with a number of weather-related customer interruptions which are being dealt with "as we would normally expect at this time of year".

Charity Marie Curie estimates it could lose £400,000 in donations because of the weather which has coincided with St David's day.

The Great Daffodil Appeal runs through March, with volunteers collecting on UK streets to help people with terminal illnesses.

But 30 have been cancelled across Wales today alone, including at Cardiff’s St David’s Day parade.

Image source, Getty Images

Despite suggestions to the contrary this morning, tonight's Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester City will go ahead.

A statement from Arsenal read: "Thursday night's match against Manchester City at Emirates Stadium is scheduled to go ahead as planned.

"We will continue to monitor weather conditions and work with local agencies but, unless there is a further announcement, the match is on."

Kick-off is at 19:45 GMT.

In an effort to beat treacherous conditions and ensure cover for patients, NHS staff at Sunderland Royal Hospital spent last night in the hospital - and they plan to stay again tonight.

Paediatric nurse Lisa Gerrett said: "Even if I could get home tonight, I would still have to manage to get in again in the morning."

The mother-of-four from Chester-le-Street was brought in to work by a volunteer driver.

"If I stay, it means the driver can collect other nurses," she said.

"It also means I can cover for night staff who cannot get in, if necessary."