Thousands still without heating as Scotland braces itself for big freeze

Published on Wednesday 3 December 2008 01:30

THOUSANDS of homes in the Borders have been left without gas supplies as freezing winter weather sets in across Scotland.

About 3,000 homes in Kelso and 70 in the village of Ednam were forced to endure a night of sub-zero temperatures after they lost their supply on Monday, and many remain cut off.

Gas chiefs said supplies were being repaired in stages, which could take several days, but temperatures are expected to stay below 5C until the end of the week.

Three schools remained closed yesterday because there was no heating. An emergency drop-in centre has been set up and people are being urged to keep watch on elderly neighbours.

A Scottish Borders Council spokesman last night said: "General advice to those householders who will remain without a gas supply tonight is to concentrate on keeping one room in the house warm, using electric heaters." The council is running a warm centre at Kelso High School.

The weather brought traffic chaos across Scotland yesterday, with 148 accidents reported in Strathclyde alone, where fluctuating temperatures saw rain fall and then freeze, leaving roads slick.

In Aberdeenshire, one person died and a man rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries after a three-car pile-up on the snow-covered A96 south of Huntly last night.

Grampian Police reported 19 accidents, although the force could not say for sure that each one was caused by the weather. A total of 90 schools were closed or partially closed in the region.

Meanwhile, accident and emergency units at hospitals in Glasgow were inundated with pedestrians injured in pavement falls due to black ice.

In Dundee, snow turned Hilltown into a giant snow slope, and on the A90 Dundee to Aberdeen road three lorries became stuck, causing delays. At Moffat in Dumfries and Galloway, heavy snow made driving difficult on the M74 link to England.

And in some cases incidents unconnected to the weather conspired to add to the chaos.

In Edinburgh, traffic backed up for two hours on the A702 because of a burst water main at Hillend.

Meanwhile, the bookmaker Ladbrokes has cut the chance of a white Christmas in London to 11/4 from 3/1 following another run of bets.

Ladbrokes was originally offering 7/1 for snow in the city.

However, the plummeting temperatures have forced the firm to slash the odds – a white Christmas could cost bookies up to 1 million.

Spokesman Nick Weinberg said: "We're frozen with fear at the prospect of a white Christmas.

"Interest in the traditional festive wager has gone into overdrive this year."

Glasgow is 2/1 to see snow, from an opening quote of 8/1. Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester are at 4/1.