Dozens spend night in pub amid heavy snowfallon December 12, 2022 at 9:40 am

About 40 people were forced to take refuge in a pub overnight after heavy snowfall forced some to abandon their cars on impassable roads.

The Bear Inn near Burwash in East Sussex threw open its doors to those stranded, providing hot drinks, log fires, and mattresses for children.

One of those was Dr Alexandra Loske, who said: “Many sleeping on the floor tonight but we are all happy.”

The cold spell is set to continue, with further disruption possible.

The heavy snowfall has caused widespread disruption, with cancelled flights, suspended train services and treacherous conditions on the roads.

Dr Loske, a curator at Brighton’s Royal Pavilion, said dozens of people, including babies, children and elderly people, took shelter in the Bear Inn, and described the scene as “biblical”.

Dr Loske said she abandoned her car on the A265 at about 17:00 GMT on Sunday, after the situation there became “very scary”.

Many people had broken down, she said, while other cars were simply stuck and vehicles were “sliding everywhere”.

She set off with about five families to find shelter, but the first pub they found eventually asked them to leave.

She said: “Conditions were still really treacherous. Then we figured out the Bear Inn were taking in waifs and strays, and stranded people.”

She told BBC Radio Sussex: “It was a long night and quite scary but we made so many good friends and met so many lovely and kind people. We are safe and warm.

“It was absolutely amazing, log fires going, open arms, free food, free hot drinks, they put us all up.”

Tom Buckley from Bexhill also found refuge in the pub.

He said: “I got stuck on a hill just outside Burwash, got towed up the hill and dug out by the local vicar, who was a hero.

“He offered us a place to stay [but] we went to the Bear Inn who gave us a room.

“Every room was full, people sleeping in the bar. Those people couldn’t be any nicer.”

Elsewhere, Hastings Police said it was dealing with a number of drivers stranded on the A21 and surrounding roads on Monday morning.

Officers urged people to stay calm and remain in their vehicles.

National Highways urged only essential travel on roads in the south-east of England on Sunday night. Kent was particularly hit hard, with snow severely affecting the M2 and parts of the M20, it said.

Meanwhile, Southeastern Railway warned passengers against travelling on Monday morning due to the disruption.

In a statement, it said snow and ice caused “severe disruption” across the whole of its network, and services would continue to be disrupted.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which has issued a cold weather alert until Friday, is encouraging people to stay warm and look out for those most at risk.

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