The dog days of winter

Bad weather splits nation as the North is swathed in snow and South lashed by rain

- Chris Riches

THOUSANDS of children and some of their pets- enjoyed the snow yesterday after dozens of schools shut amid warnings of -19C blizzards.

In the Midlands and North a coldhealth alert remains in place until this evening as forecasters predict up to 10 inches of snow.

Meanwhile the South has been buffeted by heavy rain and winds - which have caused their own problems.

The mayhem began when parts of North Wales, Yorkshire and the Midlands woke to snow yesterday, leading to the race meeting at Doncaster being abandoned before a single horse ran.

More than 100 schools were then closed in northern England, North Wales and Northern Ireland, including all 88 schools in Flintshire.

Youngsters and their four-legged friends made the most of the day off, including Peanut the sprocker spaniel, far right, who played catch with snowballs on the Pennine Way in Cumbria.

Sprocker