Hottest year ever update: Britain is brought to a standstill by big freeze as passengers forced to spend a freezing night on broken-down trains

Large swathes of the country were brought to a standstill today as the big freeze tightened its grip on Britain, causing misery for millions.

After a night in which dozens of passengers were forced to sleep on two broken-down trains, airports were closed, rail services were suspended and drivers have been told to stay off the roads in several counties.

Hundreds of schools remained closed, store shelves were running out of basics such as milk and bread and employees were staying away from the workplace to avoid travel chaos.