FIVE inches of snow has fallen across much of Hillingdon so far this week, the biggest such snowfall event in many years, while temperatures have dipped as low as minus 14 degrees.

With the schools now on their Christmas breaks, the biggest impact has been on the roads and trains.

Chiltern Railways issued a revised timetable on Monday (20) and only a handful of services were stopping at West and South Ruislip stations.

On the Met line, commuters were lucky to arrive in Uxbridge at all on Monday. After already suffering delays before the snow, apparently because of timetable issues associated with the introduction of new trains, the line was also the hardest hit by snow on the London Underground.

And while Hillingdon Council said it has been gritting as normal, and is awaiting a delivery of more supplies, drivers reported being stuck and abandoning their cars during the first blizzard on Saturday (18).

Sandra Edgar, from Northwood Hills, said: "Where were the gritters on Saturday? I tried to get from Mount Vernon Hospital to Northwood Hills. Sat for two hours hardly moving.

"Someone coming the other way said the problem was the hill wasn't gritted [and] people were stuck. Such a vital route - why not gritted? Total journey time three hours."

At the same time hundreds of drivers were stranded on the M25 at Rickmansworth after a lorry reportedly jack-knifed.

But there were also signs of community spirit in Hillingdon. The Ansell Garden Centre, in Holloway Lane, West Drayton, was helping drivers to stock up on key supplies as the snow fell.

Fiona Huntley, a driver from Hillingdon, said: "I think the scouts' motto 'Be Prepared' is highly relevant in this instant."

The weather station at Northolt reported temperatures of -14.2C in the early hours of Monday (20) and a snow accumulation of 11cm, nearly five inches.

There is even the prospect of more snow to come and a White Christmas looks a good bet, although William Hill in Uxbridge were only offering odds of 5/4.

Meanwhile, Three Rivers District Council was forced to suspend all refuse and recycling collections for 24 hours to allow 'snow chains' to be fitted to all front-line vehicles for an early start on Tuesday (21).

The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for Wednesday (22) as more snow is forecast.