A county council initiative aims to keep local residents informed about how the weather is affecting rural services.

Winter alert bulletins provide instant information about school closures, road closures, flood alerts, delays to bin collections and other emergencies.

They have been launched by Northumberland County Council.

The county is criss-crossed by almost 3,000 miles (5,000kms) and has more than 180 schools, all of of them hit by a blanket of snow during recent cold weather.

Alerts for morotists and parents now appear in a dedicated area on the council’s webpage to provide information as quickly as possible.

Alan Armstrong, the council's executive member for highways and transport, “When we get bad weather it can really have an impact so this service should help people get the information they need.

Council gritting teams had been working hard to keep the roads clear, despite appalling conditions especially in rural areas.

The council was doing everything possible to help residents battle the elements, said councillor Armstrong.

Gritting teams had been salting all major A, B and C roads twice per day to keep the priority roads clear.

Bin collections in some areas had been delayed to wintry weather.

The current situation around the county is listed on the council website.