Weather closes thousands of schools

Thousands of schools are closed because of the wintry weather, and there may be worse to come.

Snow and ice prevented many schools from reopening after Christmas, and schools which opened at the start of this week have now closed again.

Across Britain, many staff have been unable to get to school, and some schools have also had problems with heating.

Parents have been advised to check school and local authority web sites to find out if their children's school is open.