Snow and ice leave Liverpool struggling

The snowy weather has been a nightmare for commuters, but fun for some of the city's youngsters

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A week after the city's heaviest snowfall in almost 30 years, Liverpool is still suffering the after-effects of the icy conditions as local services struggle to get back to normal.

Fresh snow this Wednesday added to existing problems, as the main concern this week has been the issue of gritting the city's roads and pavements. Liverpool Council has had an extra 100 tonnes of grit delivered over the past seven days to ensure there are enough provisions to last during this spell of cold weather, though some have been critical of the city's response to the situation.

The emergency services on Merseyside have been trying their best to adapt to the dangerous conditions, with huge numbers of accidents on local roads. On Monday, firemen had to cut free a 23-year-old woman from her car after she crashed into a wall in Birkdale. Ambulance services for non-emergency care have resumed today after a whole week of restricted services in Liverpool.

Merseyside Police have not only had to deal with more accidents, they have been handling more cases of criminals posing as bogus officials, knocking on the doors of the elderly and vulnerable members of the public, taking advantage of the weather conditions to 'check' on property.

The elderly remain vulnerable due to the condition of icy pavements and many are left housebound. Age Concern in Liverpool is offering a number of services to more than 2,300 of Liverpool’s elderly residents to ensure their care and safety. Chief executive of Age Concern, Dil Daly, had this advice for members of the public who want to help the elderly residents in their community: “We would advise that neighbours check on older people in their street, find out if they are coping and, if not, provide basic services such as shopping and prescription collection.”

Travel has not fared much better in Merseyside. John Lennon Airport has had widespread delays due to snowfall making take-off conditions more hazardous. The Arriva bus website encountered problems as so many people were using it for news updates, though many bus services have resumed. However, Arriva’s website still describes some areas as impassable. Trains have been more reliable with the advantage of underground services not being exposed to the snow, and the use of anti-icing gel on the outdoor lines. This, in turn, has resulted in increased passenger numbers using train services.

Most schools across Liverpool are now open but Ashfield school in Aigburth and Broadgreen Nursery

remained closed on Tuesday. Students at colleges and universities had some exams cancelled last week, but Liverpool John Moores University opened on Monday after shutting its premises from Wednesday afternoon onwards.

Sport on Merseyside has not escaped the snow either. Liverpool’s scheduled match against Tottenham on Sunday was postponed over health and safety concerns for fans on the icy roads surrounding Anfield.