Roads warning as snow and ice weather alert remains in place for North East

A Met Office yellow weather warning is in place until 12pm today, with the agency cautioning that ice and snow are likely to bring travel disruption over the region today.

Weather experts said some roads and railways likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services, and there is a risk of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.

Patches of ice are likely on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.

Police forces in the region have been urging drivers to take care in the conditions.

Newcastle International Airport said there had been some snow overnight but the airport is open and flights are operating as normal.

No issues have been reported on the Tyne & Wear Metro system and local rail services are understood to be operating normally.

Some bus services in Northumberland have been affected by the weather.

LNER rail said not reported any weather issues, but is warning passengers to be careful on platforms in case of ice.

However, due to a problem under investigation between Morpeth and Newcastle, some London-bound lines are blocked.

Train services running through these stations may be delayed by up to 20 minutes. The disruption was expected until 8.30am.

In County Durham, three schools have been closed due to weather-related issues.

Langley Moor Nursery School is closed due to having no heating.

The Oaks Secondary School in Spennymoor is closed for the day due to "adverse weather conditions", and North Park Primary School, also in Spennymoor is closed due to a heating failure.