FREQUENT snowstorms over the past week have brought a series of rescues, power cuts, and brought our atremendous amount of community spirit as neighbour helped neighbour and impromptu shelters were set up in a hall and a school to cater for stranded motorists and coach passengers. A couple were rescued from a car in a ditch between Camelford and Boscastle and a woman in labour was taken to hospital in a fire engine, arriving in the nick of time. A coach party from Bude on the way back from watching Riverdance at Plymouth became stuck in the snow and had nothing but praise for the people in Launceston who provided them with food and shelter for the night, including in the Town Hall.The snowstorms cost the region's small businesses £40m, says to the Devon and Cornwall Business Council. Leader Tim Jones said better communication and less panicking could have reduced the cost by millions.

Too many schools had closed in Devon and Cornwall where more than 300 schools gave pupils the day off on snowstorm Tuesday.

"We have had too many businesses closed unnecessarily because people were panicked by the weather forecast.

"We have had too many schools closed down, which has an adverse impact on people who rely on carers to look after children. I think we have over-reacted quite significantly."

He reckoned that the counties could have reduced the loss by £5m to £6m with better communication such as email and text alerts.

"We need to be a lot smarter about the way we respond and communicate using technology and the internet. If we had done that we would have reduced the number of days lost and the number of schools closed."

But a spokeswoman for Devon County Council education authority said it head terachers made the decisions as to whether to close or not.

She added: "Schools are closed for a variety of reasons, sometimes teachers cannot get in or there are burst pipes."

POWER CUT

A total of 73 homes in the Boyton area faced a power cut on Friday after a problem with a transformer which was likely to have been caused by falling snow.

Western Power Distribution said there was a "good chance" the weather had caused the fault.

In a dramatic incident, a fire crew from North Tawton transported a pregnant woman expecting twins to hospital in their fire engine when she went into labour.

The fire appliance — fitted with snow chains — was the only vehicle that was able to reach her due to heavy snowfall. A Sea King helicopter was dispatched from Chivenor but had to turn back due to the bad weather and an ambulance could not get through due to the deep snow.

Watch Manager Twiggy Lake said: "It was a difficult journey due to the conditions and it took 30-40 minutes to get to the hospital.

"We were prepared to deliver the babies on the appliance if we had to but we were relieved when we got to the hospital in the nick of time."

Andrea Dunn gave birth to twin girls safely at Okehampton hospital but the crew was forced to stay at the hospital for several hours due to the worsening conditions.

Andrea was later flown by helicopter to the North Devon District Hospital for a routine operation.

Fire crews also assisted with taking blankets and other provisions to a rest centre set up at Okehampton College for motorists who had to leave the A30.

Many schools in the Cornish & Devon 'Post' area were again closed on Friday, but most re-opened on Monday, except Boasley Cross, situated in an area that was worst hit by the snowfall.

Whilst many people had been out the weekend enjoying the snow, Devon County Council staff and contractors had been hard at work day and night to unblock roads and keep the highway network in operation.

In a major operation, diggers, snow blowers and snow ploughs have all been in constant operation on Dartmoor and Exmoor to try to make all key roads passable and help communities still cut off by snow.

TREE GANGS

Tree gangs have been at work to clear the many trees brought down by snow fall.

Gritting lorries had been out across the whole road network during Saturday night, in the early hours of Sunday morning and night to help deal with the prospect of ice on the roads.

As the weather continues to cause many problems, the Devon Highways Operations Control Centre have issued a warning to motorists for Monday and flood warnings also came from the Environment Agency.