Nearly 30 neighbours armed themselves with garden forks, shovels, spades and wheelbarrows to clear treacherous roads which had left them housebound for three days.

Adults and children living in Delamare Way and Barn Close in Cumnor Hill spent four hours clearing snow and ice from their streets on Saturday so their neighbours could get to work and get to the supermarket.

Rob McCulloch, 44, of Barn Close said: “There is a great community spirit here and three days after the road being totally blocked the neighbours all came together to get rid of all the snow and ice.”

The close-knit community then celebrated by all gathering together on the slopes of Cumnor Hurst to go sledging.