THOUSANDS of travellers were left stranded in the weekend snow across Merseyside and Cheshire as planes, trains and the roads were blighted by the weather.
More than 20 Merseyrail services and 15 flights from Liverpool John Lennon Airport were cancelled yesterday as the snow played havoc with the city's transport network.
Police officers were seen clearing snow from a Liverpool road using riot shields, while a West Lancashire pub turned itself into a rescue centre after up to 17 motorists became trapped.
The disruption sparked a major row over the state of the city's roads and one politician demanded an inquiry into whether Liverpool council gritters had been out, though the council insisted gritters had been working throughout the night on Saturday.
The Met Office warned the region could face more chaos with further icy conditions last night, exacerbating the already treacherous conditions. Residents were warned not to go out unless they had to and were asked to check on their elderly and vulnerable neighbours.
Last night, the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service reported increased demand with 440 emergency calls before 5.30pm. Four wheel drive ambulances were deployed and one ambulance got stuck in the snow outside a patient's house in Liverpool.
Control room manager Nick Blair said: "Fortunately, this only happened once and the paramedics were outside the patient's house.
"The patient was not in a serious condition and the ambulance was quickly pulled out of the snow again."
The service had received 19 calls to minor collisions on the slippery roads. Extra staff were brought in to manage the effects of the weather.
Mr Blair said: "It has been a really busy day and we have seen quite an increase in demand for the service for things such as slips and falls and collisions.
"Our response time has also been affected. We have not been able to get to calls as quickly as we usually would, as the drivers have had to be really careful.
"We have done really well though. All the staff have coped admirably."
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