UK snow: Greggs driver delivers food to stranded motorists

Many drivers stuck for hours in the snow on Britain's motorways have had to rummage in their glove boxes for food, hoping to find at least a fluff-covered boiled sweet.

Not so for people stranded on the A1 in Northumberland, where a Greggs truck just happened to be part of the queue.

Driver Jon Gowling's lorry ground to a halt near Berwick-upon-Tweed, resulting in free cake for whoever wanted it.

Greggs says it hopes the gesture made "everyone's day a little bit better."

Jon was working a shift that ended up totalling 30 hours - beginning at 11pm on Wednesday 28 February and finally ending when he got home at 5am on Friday morning.

Jon (right) roped in some help from Les with the promise of cake

Les Goff, another stranded driver who spotted the lorry while walking to the top of the hill, helped distribute the treats.

"He offered me a cake and asked if I'd help him deliver the cakes and doughnuts," Les - whose journey from Edinburgh to Leeds took 25 hours - tells Newsbeat.

"Everyone was well pleased. They had smiles on their faces, they were laughing."

And so the people of the A1 were fed.

Jon was carrying fresh cream cakes and a selection of biscuits, as well as doughnuts

This all took place on Thursday morning in Northumberland, but with the weather being so bad Les was still in the area late that night.

A local pub, the Lindisfarne Inn, opened its doors overnight for weary travellers.

And with so many people stranded together near the Scottish border, Les says there was a great atmosphere.

"They brought a load of quilts and blankets for us.

"There was a real good spirit at the pub - it was like what you read about."

Lewis Scott works at the pub and has been stuck there for three days due to the snow - although he doesn't seem too sad about it.

Manager Kieran with two of his chefs, including Lewis on the right, who gave stranded motorists a place to stay overnight

"That will be one night that I won't forget," says the 21-year-old.

At its peak, he says there were around 30 people inside the pub and many of them ended up staying the night.

When Newsbeat spoke to him on Friday morning plenty of them were still there.

"It was kind of like the end of the world," Lewis says. "I've never seen anything like it in my life."

It's not the only place that's opened its doors to stranded people.

Center Parcs in Wiltshire has told guests they can stay for free for the rest of the weekend.

Many of the roads surrounding the site are blocked by snow.

Rail networks including Southeastern, SouthWestern and ScotRail have told people not to travel on their routes.

Police forces across the UK have told people to travel only if necessary.

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