Weather 'could hit -10'

Commuters are being urged to stay at home tomorrow to avoid the worst winter weather for years.

The severe conditions which brought road and rail chaos to Kent today are set to spread to London and the rest of the South-East.

Warnings of snow, freezing rain and temperatures of minus 10C brought calls to bosses to be "sympathetic" and allow as many employees as possible to work from home.

Business groups and motoring organisations backed the plea.

A spokeswoman for South Eastern Trains said: "If the weather turns out to be as bad as forecast we would urge commuters only to travel if absolutely necessary."

The RAC said London and the South-East "could be about to get a taste of the awful conditions in Kent," adding: "If what we have seen in the last 48 hours is anything to go by it could be very unpleasant."

Hundreds of commuters were stranded for up to three hours today when three trains became stuck behind an out of service train near Staplehurst on the busy Ashford to London line via Tonbridge.