Storm Goretti brings heavy snow and travel disruption

Commuters across Coventry and Warwickshire have been warned to check journeys before travelling as Storm Goretti brought heavy snow on Thursday.

Reports of a police incident on Coventry Road, near to the Black Bank Road in Bedworth shut the road in the evening.

An amber weather warning for heavy snow is in place until 09:00 GMT on Friday.

West Midlands Railway said emergency speed restrictions could be introduced and services may also be delayed due to icy conditions.

The operator said snow and ice build up on the tracks as well as the risk of ice coating the overhead power lines could prevent trains from drawing the power they needed - bringing services to a stop in some cases.

The Met Office said Coventry and Warwickshire could experience snow up to 10-15cm (5.9in) deep, with the potential for 20-30cm (11.8in) in some locations.

West Midlands Railway asked customers to take care at stations, on platforms and when boarding and alighting trains, as surfaces may be slippery.

Trains across the region have been running on a reduced timetable since 19:00 on Thursday.

The rail operator said teams were actively preparing by treating tracks and station surfaces and would be keeping points clear of snow when the storm arrived.

Meanwhile councils have warned rural communities could be cut off, with power cuts likely.

Liam Brown, who lives on a narrowboat that got stuck for days on a frozen stretch of canal near Rugby, said he was bedding down to prepare for the storm.

Originally from Bedfordshire, he fell in love with life on the water and decided to switch from running a hair salon to selling burritos from his craft.

After trading in Warwickshire during the summer, he has returned and found himself stranded in a picnic area in Brownsover.

"It's actually a really, really good spot to get frozen in," he said, adding he was near a carpark and bins.

"I'm stuck in around a beautiful boat community and a beautiful land community.

"The more it storms, the more I'm in Rugby so I'm like 'bring on the big freeze', I don't want to go, anywhere, I love it."

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