Disruption at UK airports as wintry weather strands hundreds

Motorists have had to abandon their vehicles in icy conditions in the Lake District and hundreds of passengers have been stranded at airports after their flights were delayed, with the bad weather expected to cause further travel disruption across the UK.
The Met Office issued a yellow warning for ice across large parts of the UK stretching into Thursday morning, and isolated snowfall was expected on higher ground in England, Wales and Scotland.
About 300 people were stuck at Stansted airport late on Wednesday evening while waiting to rebook flights following a series of Ryanair and easyJet flight cancellations caused by the weather, the airport said.
Frustrated passengers vented their anger on social media after waiting several hours for information, complaining they had been told to return to the airport in the morning to collect their luggage.

On Wednesday morning, motorists on the A14 in the east Midlands were at a standstill for more than seven hours after multiple collisions in snow and ice. The road was reopened in both directions in the early afternoon, albeit with traffic still moving slowly in some places.
The RAC told drivers to check weather reports, leave extra time for journeys and pack winter travel kits before leaving home.
Pete Williams, a spokesman, said: “We are experiencing higher breakdown volumes than expected with callouts up by 15%-20% compared with seasonal norms.