A hectic day in prospect at the airport in bid to clear yesterday's flight backlog

SNOW continued to disrupt islanders' travel plans yesterday when hundreds were left stranded at Gatwick Airport.

The Sussex airport was closed shortly after 3pm for seven hours while workers tried to clear the runway.

Some flights were able to take off last night, but none of those was to the Channel Islands.

Airport director Colin Le Ray said there had been other disruptions, but Gatwick was the most significant.

'Nothing flew out or in from Gatwick from 2pm yesterday, so the pressure is on today to clear those passengers stranded,' he said.

'There were some disruptions to Southampton flights but we were able to get one flight there and back yesterday evening, so the aircraft was in the island and went off as normal this morning.

'The Manchester flights operated as well last night.'

There were also delays to flights to and from Stansted last night.