Big freeze disrupts Dewsbury and Mirfield

So far more than 3,000 tonnes of grit have been used in Kirklees, which is the weight of 60 blue whales.

Council employees have been out gritting paths by hand. A Kirklees Council spokesman said the council had enough grit to continue its two daily road grits for 116 more days.

Birkdale High was the first school to close on Monday, but dozens soon followed. Kirklees College cancelled night classes on Tuesday and all classes from Wednesday onwards.

All of the football and rugby matches that were due to be played on council-managed and school pitches this weekend have been cancelled.

Many bus routes were suspended or shortened, and trains to Leeds, Huddersfield, Manchester, Wakefield, Barnsley and Halifax were subject to delays and cancellations.

Trains between Leeds and Huddersfield were delayed on Wednesday afternoon when a train broke down at Ravensthorpe station.

Drivers were delayed on the M62 and M621. Van driver Andrew Kennedy, of Thornhill, was caught in the snow in Leeds, but said he was impressed with the state of Dewsbury’s roads in comparison and praised Kirklees Council.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service asked the public only to call 999 in cases of life-threatening illness or injury. It cancelled all non-emergency journeys for routine appointments. But health workers were able to use Toughbook laptops when visiting patients at home.

The rubbish tip in Weaving Lane, Dewsbury, was closed on Wednesday, but reopened on Thursday.

Kirklees Conservative leader Coun Robert Light accused council leader Mehboob Khan of focusing grit distribution on his own ward in Huddersfield, at the expense of other areas.

But Labour’s Coun Khan said he had no influence in deciding which areas should be gritted and asked Coun Light to withdraw his allegation.

The snow forced the council to cancel its Mirfield, Denby Dale and Kirkburton Committee meeting, which was due to consider funding for more grit bins.

Coun Martin Bolt (Con, Mirfield) raised concerns about the level and timing of gritting on Kitson Hill Road and outside Mirfield Free Grammar School.

A council spokesman said the road had been properly gritted.

There were reports in Thornhill of drivers from other areas filling up their cars with the village’s grit and taking it elsewhere.

More light snow is expected tonight (Saturday), but no snow is forecast for the start of next week.