Hundreds of passengers faced being stranded overnight at London Stansted Airport after wintry weather plunged swathes of the UK into a deep freeze.

They faced delays and cancellations after the airport in Essex was forced to temporarily close its runway due to ice.

Up to 300 passengers were left waiting at the terminal to rebook their flights, a spokesperson for the airport said.

They said the passengers would be provided beds and blankets, while free food and drink had been given to delayed passengers throughout the day.

A lorry crash on the M1 closed all three southbound lanes and left traffic backed up in its wake, with a string of weather-related crashes scattered across the country.

'Dangerous conditions' warning as snow and ice hit the UK

Highways England also reported "severe conditions" in both directions on the A14 near Kettering, with motorists asked to avoid the area while all available resources were deployed to help move vehicles, some of which had been stuck for several hours, and clear snow from the carriageway.

Another HGV jack-knifed in heavy snow on the M5 in Gloucestershire, as heavy snowfall overnight into Wednesday affected western parts of central England.

The RAC said it saw a 15-20 per cent spike in call-outs compared with this time last year, including 12 relating to a pothole causing significant damage to vehicles on a section of the M25 around London.

RAC spokesman Pete Williams said the company expected to attend more than 9,000 breakdowns by the end of the day.

He said: "Our patrols are rescuing members who have run into difficulty in snow and ice which is causing treacherous driving conditions resulting in some minor accidents.

"We are also seeing a significant increase in pothole related damage, so punctures, wheel damage, steering and suspension problems.

"The toxic combination of high water levels, ice and snow is causing many road surfaces to crumble causing potholes to open up.

"RAC patrols attended a dozen vehicles alone on the M25 where a large pothole opened up causing a punctures and wheel damage and big delays for many motorists.

"Flat and exhausted batteries are another major cause of breakdown or simply non-start for many as the icy and damp conditions play havoc with vehicles electrics.

"Many drivers who haven't used their car for several days over Christmas are finding that it doesn't have the charge to turn over the engine and they are left stuck on the drive or in the street.

"With more snow forecast and plummeting temperatures we expect the hazardous driving conditions will get worse tonight."

Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Show all 13 1 /13 Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Lorries stuck between J2 and J1 after overnight snow PA/Twitter/simontab Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK An overturned car PA/Thames Valley Police Roads Policing Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK An easyJet plane is de-iced at Luton Airport PA Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK A man shelters from the snow and sleet under a foldaway poncho in north London Rex Features Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Snow has settled in various parts of the UK, including Leicester Rachel Hosie Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK A train battles through the snow at Moy near Inverness Rex Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Lorries stuck on the A14 being towed as snow causes travel chaos Twitter/@joshuaagdomar Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Accident on the M1 PA/Northants Roads and Armed Policing Team Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Wintry conditions at Stansted Airport PA/Twitter/RobertsNiomi Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Lorries between J2 and J1 PA/Twitter/simontab Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Wintry conditions in Pollokshields near Glasgow PA Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK A Blue Air flight comes into land at Luton Airport PA Snow and sub-zero temperatures hit the UK Dog walkers enjoying a stroll in the snow near Inverness Rex Features

An AA spokesman said it had dealt with 8,000 breakdowns by lunchtime, which was "significantly more than a normal Wednesday in winter".

He added: "Although weather and traffic conditions out on the open road have been horrendous in places, particularly across the Midlands, the main breakdown hotspots have been in major towns and cities, such as London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester.

"This is primarily down to people heading off to shopping centres for the sales in cars that have often sat idle on driveways over the weekend and the Christmas holiday.

"Up against the cold and bad weather, the demand on heaters, wipers and lights has been terminal for many batteries and other ailing electrics."

Heavy snow between Market Harborough and Kettering resulted in delays, while flooding between Swindon and Chippenham also had an impact on passengers.

Elsewhere, the latest figures from Western Power Distribution (WPD) and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) showed nearly 13,000 homes remain without electricity.

The latest snowfall to hit the UK comes around a fortnight after hundreds of schools were closed, homes were left without power, and travellers were stranded or forced to stay indoors when a deep freeze gripped the UK.

According to the Met Office, Thursday will generally be drier with slightly less wind, although it will remain cold.