SCHOOLS closed and commuters ground to a halt after Bicester was battered by heavy snow that also cut off power to hundreds of people across the town.

Households in Bicester were among 800 across the county to lose power, with many families reporting no power supply for more than 24 hours after snow first fell in the early hours of Sunday.

But the white stuff thrilled youngsters, who wasted no time in heading out and embracing the Christmas spirit.

Many people took the opportunity to make snowmen, whizz down hills on toboggans and stage snowball fights.

But anyone trying to travel through the town or passing by, even on major roads, was met with misery.

There was severe travel disruption on both the A34 and M40 as drivers ground to a halt.

The motorway services at Cherwell Valley at junction 10 of the M40, near Bicester, was closed and traffic was severely disrupted on the motorway.

Bus services were also affected, with Stagecoach suspending all its services across the county on Sunday morning and afternoon, including the S5 between Bicester and Oxford.

Businesses across the district were also forced to close completely on Sunday, including Bicester Village, which announced it had shut due to the severe weather conditions and staff being unable to get to the site.

With the conditions continuing into Monday, the popular designer outlet opened slightly later to ensure the snow could be cleared and it was safe for staff to make it to work.

Cherwell District Council also tweeted about its services being affected by the heavy snowfall.

It said: "Due to the snow and staffing shortages, this has impacted upon the opening times and available facilities at our leisure centres and sports grounds."

This included Whitelands Farm in Kingsmere, which was closed on Sunday closed due to a power cut.

The Cooper School and The Bicester School were both closed on Monday but thanks to hard work from staff both were able to open again on Tuesday.

Many primaries remained shut on both days due to treacherous conditions.

No bin collections took place on Monday and disruption has continued, with Cherwell District Council saying it would review each route on a route-by-route basis throughout the week.

Milder temperatures by the middle of the week saw the snow begin to clear, with warmer conditions predicted in the coming days.