Cumbria snow: Cut-off villages face supplies running out

Rural communities cut off by snow for a fourth day are running out of supplies, residents say.

Roads are impassable in some villages in Cumbria with snowdrifts described as at least 6ft high in places.

Conditions are reported to be particularly severe along the eastern side of the Eden Valley, on the edge of the Pennines.

Nicola Newton from the Co-op in Lazonby, said conditions were "the worst it's been for five or 10 years".

"People just want their fresh goods, their bread, their milk and papers, and we've got none of them," she said.

Carol Westmorland, from Cumrew, said villagers there were "slowly running out" of supplies.

"It's the possibility of an emergency - if somebody needed to leave the village, that would not be possible," she said.

Fellow villager Greg Mcgough said it had been impossible to leave the village for three days.

He posted on Facebook: "Hope the council are planning to get to us soon in Cumrew as this is day three and the drifts are topping 6ft and to try and go outside is impossible with such low temperatures."

Many roads are blocked by deep snowdrifts and cleared routes are covered with snow again within a few hours.

At Great Dun Fell, on the Pennines, winds reached up to 100mph overnight.

One of England's highest villages, Nenthead, near Alston, is snowbound.

Debbie Barrett, who lives in the village, said they had no water and the snowdrifts were too high to walk through.

Chris Purdham, who farms in Gamblesby, said he could not reach his 800 pregnant ewes.

"I managed to get up yesterday but it was blowing that hard I couldn't see the sheep," he said.

"If we lose the ewes it will be a huge hit - it's just devastating."

Paul Magnus-Lee tweeted that "Newbiggin, Cumrew and Castle Carrock and all the surrounding satellite villages on the eastern fell side" were cut off.

"Many vulnerable old people are at risk. Low on food, medication and fuel," he said.