Immigration: PM Talks Tough On Social Housing

Immigrant families will be kept off council house waiting lists for up to five years under a crackdown being unveiled by Prime Minister David Cameron.

He is to set out a tougher approach on housing and benefits in a keynote speech today - promising to tackle the culture of "something for nothing".

Councils currently have powers to impose local residency tests for social housing but ministers are frustrated that only around half do so.

Arguing that Britain became a "soft touch" for immigrants under Labour, Mr Cameron will announce that statutory guidance is being issued.

Local authorities will have to introduce minimum residency times of between two and five years for joining waiting lists - or justify why they are not.

The Prime Minister is likely to cite figures in his speech showing that nearly one in 10 new social lettings go to foreign nationals. The proportion has risen from 6.5% in 2007-08 to 9% in 2011-12.

The harder line will please the Tory right, who have blamed the lack of action in such core areas for the party's dismal third place behind UKIP in the Eastleigh by-election.

Concerns have been rising of an influx from Bulgaria and Romania when movement restrictions are loosened at the end of this year.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg performed a U-turn last week by abandoning the Liberal Democrats' controversial "earned citizenship" policy, which would allow illegal immigrants to stay once they have been in the country for more than 10 years.

He said such an amnesty now risked "undermining public confidence".

Under the new rules, ministers will take steps to ensure British nationals are protected when they move for "genuine reasons" - such as work or family breakdown - by ensuring local authorities retain the ability to set exceptions.

Such protection is already legally in force for members of the Armed Forces.

Mr Cameron is also expected to use his speech to reiterate his commitment to reduce net immigration.

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Military Honours: Code-Breaker Receives MBE

A soldier who cracked codes used by Afghan insurgents to hide deadly weapons is among those recognised in the latest military honours.

Private Lewis Treloar, a 23-year-old former builder, volunteered for the role as lead IED (improvised explosive device) searcher on his second tour of Afghanistan last summer, despite his wife expecting their second baby.

"I didn't want to witness anything bad happening to anyone else," he said.

After cracking the coded warning signs used by the Taliban, Pte Treloar, of 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, went on to find more than 40 stores of IEDs and weapons.

He said he was "shocked" to receive an MBE but added: "The real reward is seeing these weapons off the streets."

Pte Treloar is one of 118 members of the Armed Forces honoured for their bravery.

Others include Flight Lieutenant Christopher Gordon, who receives the Distinguished Flying Cross for rescuing 30 British and Afghan troops while under heavy fire.

Flt Lt Gordon said receiving his medal was "very humbling"

The 29-year-old flew his Chinook into an insurgent "safe haven" in Helmand Province, despite one of the helicopter's two engines being disabled.

He made his way back to Camp Bastion at a height of less than 20ft, creating a dust cloud that meant he "couldn't see anything".

On Friday, it emerged Lance Corporal Lawrence Kayser would receive the Military Cross after single-handedly clearing an entire compound of insurgents.

Medic Lance Corporal Abbie Martin receives the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service for treating a British soldier on the battlefield while under fire.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said: "In a changing world, the bravery and commitment to duty of our servicemen and women remains unswerving.

"Whether fighting for our security on operations abroad or rescuing mountaineers and sailors within the British Isles, they deserve our gratitude and respect.

"I hope that the awards ... go some way to underlining how much this country values the efforts and sacrifices of our Armed Forces."

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Berezovsky Death: Police Give Home 'All Clear'

Boris Berezovsky: A Profile

Updated: 10:23pm UK, Saturday 23 March 2013

Boris Berezovsky was once one of Russia's most powerful kingmakers, a member of the influential group of Russian tycoons referred to as the "oligarchs".

Born in Moscow in 1946, the son of a civil engineer, he gained a doctorate in applied mathematics, before becoming one of a number of Russian businessmen who took advantage of Perestroika.

He made his money founding the car company LogoVAZ in 1989, selling local Russian cars and importing Mercedes.

As his wealth grew so too did his sphere of influence and in 1993 he entered the Kremlin's inner circle, eventually earning the nickname Rasputin, after the mystic adviser to the Romanovs.

By the mid-1990s Mr Berezovsky owned a stake in the oil company Sibneft and had a majority share in Russia's main television channel, ORT.

In 1997 Forbes estimated his wealth was $3bn.

At Davos in 1996 he joined forces with other businessmen who had flourished in the ruins of the Soviet Union and they formed a pact, known as the "Davos Pact" in which they agreed to bank roll Boris Yeltsin for his second presidential run.

Together with members of Mr Yeltsin's family, like his daughter Tatyana Yumasheva, and like-minded politicians, like Anatoly Chubais, Yegor Gaidar and Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov, they effectively ran Russia during Mr Yetsin's second term as his health faltered.

When it was clear a successor was needed, it is said that it was Mr Berezovsky who hand-picked the ex-KGB head, Vladimir Putin.

He may have made him king but Mr Putin soon made it clear that he was not to be anyone's puppet and shortly after he became President the two men fell out.

Mr Berezovsky resigned from the Duma and set himself up in opposition then left the country on business. He never returned.

In November 2000, while travelling, he was summoned for economic crimes but he did not respond and set up home in London. He was granted asylum in the UK in 2003.

Mr Berezovsky vowed that he would bring Mr Putin down, but after a series of assassination attempts, he also lived in fear for his life.

According to Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian FSB agent who was assassinated in London in 2006, a Russian agent was preparing a hit on Mr Berezovsky in September 2003.

Mr Litvinenko had also claimed in 1998 when he was an FSB agent that he himself had been ordered to kill Mr Berezovsky.

In 2007, Scotland Yard said it had foiled a plot to assassinate Mr Berezovsky in the UK. The alleged hitman, a Chechen national, was arrested in London and deported to Russia.

Mr Berezovsky also survived an assassination attempt in Russia in 1994 when a car bomb exploded, wounding him and decapitating his driver.

And as Mr Berezovsky's power faded in his self-imposed exile, so did his wealth.

According to the Sunday Times Rich List by 2011, his net worth was only about $900m (£591m).

Mr Berezovsky's stake in Sibneft eventually led to a court battle with Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, which is estimated to have cost him £100m, and speculation about his financial well-being.

In 2012, he lost the High Court case in which he accused his fellow oligarch of breach of trust, breach of contract and claimed Mr Abramovich "intimidated" him into selling shares in Sibneft for a "mere $1.3bn" (£800m) - "a fraction of their true worth".

In July 2011 his ex-wife Galina Beshanrova, 53, won the biggest divorce settlement in history, said to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds.

Mr Berezovsky ran up further legal bills of more than £250,000 later in 2012 fighting a case against his former lover, Elena Gorbunova.

Ms Gorbunova, who had two children with Mr Berezovsky, complained that she had not been given millions promised by him.

On Wednesday, Mr Berezovsky sold Red Lenin, an Andy Warhol screen print, for £133,875 at Christie's auction house, prompting more speculation about his financial situation.

Demoralised by the Abramovich case, the Kremlin claims that Mr Berezovsky, the kingmaker, was a broken man in the days before he died.

He had written, Mr Putin's spokesman claimed, to beg forgiveness and to finally return to Russia.

He never did.

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Snow And Ice: Thousands Still Without Power

At least 20,000 people are still without power after heavy snow, with the RAF called out to help in some of the worst affected areas.

Engineers are working to restore supplies to around 10,000 homes in Scotland and 12,500 in Northern Ireland, as well as 500 properties on the Isle of Man.

A search and rescue team from RAF Valley in Anglesey, Wales, was drafted in to help police in Northern Ireland.

RAF Valley's mountain rescue team prepare to fly to Northern Ireland

They also landed on the Isle of Arran to fly an elderly woman suffering from hypothermia to hospital.

Squadron Leader Dave Webster, of RAF Search and Rescue, said its fleet of helicopters remained on stand-by but added: "There have been remarkably few call outs considering the disruption that's been caused."

The freezing weather is thought to have led to the death of a 27-year-old man who was trying to get home after a night out with friends in Lancashire.

A 57-year-old hill walker died in the Scottish Highlands, although police said it was not clear whether his death was linked to the poor weather.

On Friday, police in Looe, Cornwall, found a body in a block of flats that had been flattened by a landslide thought to have been triggered by torrential rain.

Northern Ireland Electricity said conditions were improving but warned some customers may be without power for several days.

Work to restore powere supplies in Northern Ireland

Spokesman Julia Carson said: "Some roads are still impassable - access has been restricted because of drifting snow and abandoned vehicles."

In Cumbria, police said around 40 people who left their cars on the roadside were given shelter in hotels in Millom, Waberthwaite and Bootle, while in Staffordshire, snow ploughs have been battling through drifts of up to 12ft on some exposed routes.

Meanwhile, the Met Office warned of a risk of ice, despite lifting its yellow "be aware" weather alert.

"Lying snow in many areas will melt on roads and pavements by day, refreezing by night to give icy patches," a spokesman said.

"Snow blowing off fields in strong to gale force winds will also affect some roads, especially over high ground."

Snow and ice are causing treacherous driving conditions in many places

The weather has wreaked havoc across the transport network over the last two days, with delays on roads, railways and at airports including Leeds Bradford and Doncaster's Robin Hood.

Sky News weather forecaster Isobel Lang said the snow would become "less of a concern after today" but added: "The risk of more unsettled conditions with rain and further snow increases towards the Easter weekend."

Bookmaker Ladbrokes has cut the odds of snow at Easter to 4/5 after taking a flurry of bets in the past 48 hours. If it does snow, it would be the first white Easter in five years.

Forecasters have predicted it could be the coldest March in 50 years. In 1962, average temperatures for the month were 2.8C (37F).

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Cyprus Leaders Head To Brussels For Talks

Cyprus Bailout: Threat To Savings

Updated: 7:36am UK, Saturday 23 March 2013

By Ashish Joshi, Sky News Correspondent

Finally late into Friday night - an agreement on Plan B, meaning Cyprus has moved one giant step towards securing a Brussels bailout.

It includes a solidarity fund pooling together state assets and the granting of power to the Government to control bank capital.

The latter move is to prevent a run on the banks when their doors finally open on Tuesday.

There will also be a restructuring of the country's banks and a savings tax on Cypriot savers.

The details of the tax have still to be finalised, but the framework is in place.

It could mean savings over 100,000 euros held in Bank of Cyprus accounts being taxed up to 20%, according to one source close to the negotiations.

The same source said if that proposal is rejected there will be a plan to impose a tax of around 10% on all Cypriot bank accounts over 100,000 euros.

The threat of savers being hit hangs over the heads of people like Loizos Michael.

The 60-year-old tailor worked hard for 35 years, building up a good business.

He was looking forward to a wealthy retirement. Not anymore. Times are hard.

Speaking from his small tailor's shop in central Nicosia, Mr Michael said: "With the banks being closed, it is hard because I don't have a credit card and so cash flow is a problem.

"Even filling your car with petrol needs thinking about.

"Cypriots have always been workers by nature and nobody could have imagined that unemployment would be so high.

"This has hit us hard in the pockets."

Cyprus is weathering a storm - the likes of which this Mediterranean island has never faced in her young history.

Mr Michael said he knew things were getting bad, but expected solutions to be found to avoid ordinary people having to suffer.

"I expected something better. But now, it looks like the problem has been brewing for some time," he said.

"There used to be some people talking about the crisis, but now everyone's talking about it.

"I think things are harder now than just after the war. After the war of '74 people could still find work. Now, there is just no work so people have no money. What can we do?"

In the 1990s, Cyprus boasted a dynamic, booming economy, but it grew and unchecked.

An overbloated banking sector exposed to Greek debt has crippled the country's economy.

Now people like Loizos Michael must pay the price. He and the rest of Cyprus will soon find out exactly how much that is going to be.

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Experts Defuse Bomb Found In Northern Ireland

A bomb discovered and defused in a car in Northern Ireland was destined for a police station, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has confirmed.

The device was found in County Fermanagh, not far from the luxury Lough Erne golf resort where this June's G8 conference of world leaders will be held.

Sky's David Blevins said the device consisted of explosives packed into a beer keg rigged with timing devices.

PSNI district commander Pauline Shields said: "The people responsible for this have no regard for the lives of anyone in our community.

"It is fortunate that no-one was killed or seriously injured as a result of this reckless act.

"Although investigations are at an early stage it is our assessment at present that this vehicle was destined for Lisnaskea PSNI station."

Residents were told to leave their homes and Army technical officers carried out a clearance operation on the suspicious car and a viable device was made safe.

Ms Shields added: "Once again our community has been disrupted and the lives of residents put at risk by an element intent on causing  loss of life and disruption.

A week ago the Police Service of Northern Ireland discovered a mortar-type device aimed towards New Barnsley police station in north Belfast.

Also last week, three officers escaped injury when an explosive device detonated close to them as they patrolled a coastal path on the outskirts of Belfast.

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Miliband Offers Answer To 'Decade Of Decline'

Ed Miliband has accused David Cameron of condemning the UK to a "decade of decline" by sticking to austerity plans.

In a speech this afternoon, the Labour leader insisted public anger with the coalition is growing in the wake of a no-change Budget - but he conceded that his party still has work to do to convince voters there is a real alternative.

Mr Miliband presented a list of policies that he claims would kick-start growth and make the economy fairer, including bank reform, infrastructure investment and a 10p tax rate.

He contrasted the platform he fleshed out with George Osborne's financial package this week.

"We are five years on from the financial crisis of 2008," he told a 'people's policy forum' in Birmingham, which is billed as representing political opinion from across the West Midlands.

"We are in the slowest recovery for 100 years. And it is you who are suffering. Wages are frozen. Prices are rising. Living standards falling.

"Yet the Chancellor offered no change in the Budget. He offered more of the same. Can you imagine another five years of this?

"Low growth. Living standards squeezed further. You paying the price. A lost decade Britain cannot afford. A decade of national decline."

Mr Miliband accused the Government of "shrugging their shoulders", saying ministers have "run out of ideas", and he urged voters to give him a chance to change the way the country is run.

"Over the last two and a half years since I became Labour leader, I have sought to understand why people left Labour," Mr Miliband said.

"From banking regulation to immigration to Iraq, I have been clear about what we got wrong. But as I listen to people around Britain I also know they are increasingly disappointed with this Government.

"People all over Britain have lost confidence in David Cameron's ability to turn Britain around. But let me clear with you. I know that however discredited, divided and damaging this Government is, I will not assume that their unpopularity will mean people turn to Labour.

"Indeed, many people will believe that the failure of this Government means they should give up on politics altogether."

Mr Miliband said he cannot offer "overnight answers" or that things will be easy, but he pledged to seek an economic recovery "made by the many, not just a few at the top".

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Weather: Snow Brings Severe Disruption

Heavy snowfall has brought disruption to many parts of the UK, with roads closed, flights delayed, rail services cancelled and sports events called off.

The severe weather has brought down power lines, leaving tens of thousands of homes in Northern Ireland without electricity, while 6,000 properties in Scotland and hundreds more in areas of northern England also had no power.

The snowy conditions extended south, hitting areas around London and Kent, where forecasters said there could be 2cm-5cm of the white stuff on higher ground.

The Met Office issued a yellow warning for the public to be aware of adverse weather conditions as a slow-moving band of rain, sleet and snow made its way across many central and northern parts, and the south and east.

There may be 5-10cm of snow at lower levels and further significant snow accumulations were likely on hills, with continued drifting and blizzard conditions in strong southeasterly winds. 

There is apparently 18 inches of snow near Wrexham (Pic: Alison Brooks)

One of the worst affected areas seemed to be North Wales, where reader Alison Brooks said there was more than 18 inches (45cm) of snow outside the town of Wrexham.

Airports were forced to shut their runways, and road closures hit motorists.  The AA has warned drivers that even short journeys may be difficult.

About 70 people stranded in their cars in Cumbria overnight were put up in a local high school.

In Northern Ireland, 6ft snow drifts left emergency crews struggling to get through but electricity returned to 5,000 homes overnight.

However, about 35,000 customers were still cut off and teams were out again from first light to continue with network repairs, Northern Ireland Electricity said.

In Scotland, ScottishPower estimated there were some 6,000 homes were still off supply in the south-west area.

Electricity North West was trying to restore power to parts of Cumbria, with 350 customers still without electricity, as engineers were unable to reach them due to road closures.

A snow plough is pictured toppled over in the bad weather

Leeds Bradford Airport said flights were not currently operating due to the adverse weather conditions. There was also disruption at East Midlands Airport.

Among the problems reported on the railways was disruption on First Transpennine Express services between Huddersfield and Manchester, and no Northern Rail services between Skipton and Carlisle.

The bad weather also hit the sporting programme, with racing at Doncaster and Newbury called off and some football league games in England and Scotland postponed.

Northern Ireland's World Cup qualifier against Russia fell foul of the weather for the second time in 24 hours, with hostile conditions rendering Windsor Park unplayable.

The Group F clash was initially due to take place on Friday night but heavy snow and plummeting temperatures in Belfast saw the fixture postponed after three inspections by Norwegian referee Tom Hagen and the FIFA delegation.

The South West, which was hit by heavy rain and floods on Friday, was expected to have a relatively dry day, with only one flood warning, meaning flooding was expected, in place.

Dozens of flood alerts, where flooding was possible, remained for that region as well as the South East, the Midlands and Anglia.

Sky weather presenter Isobel Lang said: "Southeast England, East Anglia, the Midlands, north Wales, northern England, Northern Ireland and much of Scotland can expect snow today.

A woman died when this house in Looe collapsed

"High ground will be worst affected with some heavy snow at times with drifting in the strong winds and also blizzards.

"Low levels could see 5-10cm, two to four inches, of snowfall today although amounts will probably be lower across London."

She added: "Southwest England, south Wales and southern Ireland looks largely dry and relatively mild with some brighter spells.

"A few showers may nudge into the extreme southwest later. Tonight will stay dry with a frost forming in places."

The rain was a particular problem on Friday in Cornwall, where a landslide, thought to have been triggered by torrential rain, smashed through a block of flats, partially collapsing the building.

Emergency crews found a woman's body after picking through debris at the Veronica flats in Looe on Friday night. The body is believed to be that of Susan Norman, who was in her 60s and had been unaccounted for, according to the police.

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Gay Advert Ban On London Buses 'Not Illegal'

Transport for London's decision to ban a Christian group's controversial bus advert about gays was not unlawful, the High Court has ruled.

The ad posters, earmarked for the sides of the capital's buses, suggested that gay people can be helped to "move out of homosexuality". The advert read: "Not Gay! Ex-Gay, Post-Gay and Proud. Get over it!"

Core Issues Trust, the Christian charity behind the ads, had taken the matter to court, claiming that London Mayor Boris Johnson - who is chairman of TfL, was "politically driven" when he intervened to block the ad in the run up to the last mayoral elections.

Mr Johnson condemned the "gay cure" ad as "offensive to gays" and said it could lead to retaliation against the wider Christian community.

But a judge ruled that the Mayor of London did not abuse his position.

Mrs Justice Lang, sitting at London's High Court, said that TfL's process in introducing the ban "was procedurally unfair, in breach of its own procedures and demonstrated a failure to consider the relevant issues".

But that was outweighed by factors against allowing the ad, including that it would "cause grave offence" to those who were gay and was perceived as homophobic, "thus increasing the risk of prejudice and homophobic attacks", said the judge.

TfL insisted that it was an internal decision to ban the advert, of which Mr Johnson was "informed".

Welcoming the court ruling, a spokeswoman for the transport body said: "The advertisement clearly breached our advertising policy as it contained a controversial message and was likely to cause widespread offence to the public.

"This was borne out by the hugely negative public reaction the advertisement generated, including on social media and newspaper websites. We are taking steps to address the Judge's comments regarding our internal processes."

The judge revealed her concern over the issues raised by the case by giving Core Issues permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal.

The judge said that, although she did not think an appeal would succeed, there were "compelling reasons" to allow an appeal to go ahead.

She said the case "concerns interference with the right to freedom of expression which is a matter of such fundamental importance that it merits consideration by the appellant court."

Core Issues, which works with gay people seeking to change their lifestyles, had asked the judge to rule that the charity was unlawfully denied the freedom to express its views on homosexuality.

Paul Diamond, appearing for the charity, said it was imposed in April last year "very close" to the mayoral election on May 3, when Mr Johnson defeated political opponent Ken Livingstone.

Mr Diamond said: "It was clearly a highly-charged issue, and the mayor took credit for the highly, politically-driven decision.

"The mayor was strongly of the view this advertisement should not run."

Mr Diamond said the Core Issues Trust had nothing but "utter respect for people struggling with same-sex attraction".

He denied that it was attempting to offer a so-called "gay cure".

He said the ads were a response to a bus poster campaign by gay rights group Stonewall, which carried the message: "Some people are gay. Get over it!"

Mr Diamond contended the trust was equally entitled to express its view on the sides of buses, and to have its right to freedom of expression protected under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

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Snow And Rain: Woman Missing After Floods

A woman is missing after the country was lashed by heavy rain, floods and snow that have brought widespread disruption.

Police spent the morning using a sniffer dog to search for the woman after floodwater crashed through her home in Looe, Cornwall.

Devon and Cornwall Police say Susan Norman, who is in her 60s, has not been seen or heard of since 6pm yesterday.

Neighbours said they heard "windows popping" at the three-storey property under the pressure of a torrent of surface water which had been washed down the road behind the building, which is split into three flats.

Devon and Cornwall Police duty inspector Graham Claybourn said: "The property and adjoining properties were evacuated this morning, everybody was accounted for.

"However, one lady has not been accounted for. She lives in the ground flat."

It came as up to 40cm (16ins) of snow was expected over high ground in the Midlands, north and east Wales and northwest England, with 10-15cm (four to six ins) in lower lying areas.

Up to 30cm (12ins) of snow was predicted for Northern Ireland across the hills of counties Antrim and Down, with high winds leading to blizzard conditions.

Amber alerts have been issued for snow and rain

The snow was expected to continue into Saturday with the Met Office saying another 5-10cm (4-6ins) was possible in some areas of central Britain.

Two amber warnings for snow have been issued, meaning that the public in some places should be prepared for "severe disruption, particularly to transport and power supplies".

The bad weather resulted in the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Cumbria being shut down.

A spokesman said: "In response to the current and predicted adverse weather conditions on and around the Sellafield site, as a precaution, a site incident has been declared and the plants on the site have been moved to a controlled, safe, shutdown state.

"We have implemented a phased early release of staff from the site. This will be carried out in a safe, controlled manner.

"There is no reason to believe that there will be any off-site nuclear, environmental or conventional safety issues associated with the incident."

In Northern Ireland, more than 40,000 homes and businesses were left without power and around 60 schools were closed.

George Best City Airport closed its runway for a while but later announced it had reopened and flights from Belfast International Airport were disrupted.

In West Yorkshire, Leeds Bradford International Airport has suspended all flights due to "adverse weather conditions".

Snow in Derwen (Pic: Geraint Evans)

The airport has told passengers: "We advise you contact your airline or tour operator and check the status of your flight before arriving at the airport."

Among the main roads affected in the region are the A1(M) between the end of the M1 and the A62 junction, between Leeds and York, where snow has closed a lane, the M62 near Brighouse, where another lane has been closed due to the weather and the A66 across the Pennines which has been closed in both directions between the A685 and the A1.

Police in Cumbria have established a multi-agency 'Gold Group' to co-ordinate its response to a number of incidents.

A spokeswoman said police had received about 20 calls throughout the morning for assistance following multiple reports of road traffic collisions, impassable roads from trees falling, road signs blowing over and heavy snowfall.

Despite a series of accidents on the region's road network, North Wales Police said all main routes were passable but urged drivers to take care.

In the West Midlands, nearly 230 schools shut their doors to pupils, with many reporting burst pipes and frozen heating systems.

In Staffordshire, 170 closed their doors, but there was also disruption in Walsall, Dudley and Wolverhampton.

Nearly 200 schools closed across North Wales and scores more closed across Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lancashire and Cumbria. Schools across Greater Manchester appeared largely unaffected.

Shops and homes were flooded in Cornwall overnight, as the AA warned motorists even short journeys "can quickly turn bad".

Yesterday and last night there was flooding across the South West, including Penzance, Newlyn, Porthleven, Stithians, Bridge, Mevagissey, Colebrook and Holbeam with early reports suggesting around 10 properties have flooded so far.

At one point, there were 96 flood warnings in place across the country, with southwest England the worst affected.

The worst flooding was reported to be around Newlyn in Cornwall

Fifteen flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 40 flood alerts, where flooding is possible, are now in place across the south west. Another 36 flood alerts applied to East Anglia, the Midlands, the south east and Wales.

Sgt Dave Opara, based in Plymouth, said: "There has been a considerable amount of rainfall across the force area."

Cornwall opened its dedicated control centre to deal with the volume of calls about flooding.

Newlyn, in the southwest of the county, was reported to be the worst affected area.

Resident Adam Gibbard said the river through the town had burst its banks and swept into the main street.

"This is the second time it has happened in three months and a lot of these properties are businesses who were just getting back on their feet," he told Sky News.

Sky's weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "The snow will turn to sleety rain over north Wales and the north Midlands for a time, reverting to snow again later. Southern Britain and south-east Ireland meanwhile will see more heavy rain, bringing local flooding in the west where another 5cm, (2ins) are possible.

"There'll be more snow tonight, from around the M4 up into central Scotland and across the north of Ireland, while southern counties will have yet more rain. Saturday will see snow over central parts slowly fading, but there'll be a raw wind and it will stay near freezing away from the south-west.

"The average temperature for the month so far, combining day and night, has been around 3C, well below the long term average of 6C. It's highly unlikely to be record breaking (the coldest March on record was in 1962, at 1.9C), but it could well be the coldest for over 25 years."

Environment Agency spokesperson Pete Fox said the public can sign up for flood warnings and check the latest information on the Environment Agency's website, or follow us on Twitter at @EnvAgency.

Darron Burness, head of the AA's Special Operations Response Team, said: "It's going to be a real witch's brew of driving wind, rain and snow, which will inevitably cause disruption on the roads.

"Drivers should be well prepared as even short journeys can quickly turn bad."

The Local Government Association said council gritting and ploughing teams would be out in force to try to ensure main roads remained passable.

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