British emergency services rescued about 200 motorists stranded overnight in heavy snow in southwest England, British police said today.

Some parts of Britain endured the worst snowfall for almost 20 years this week, disrupting travel and forcing the closure of thousands of schools across the country.

"It was the sudden snowfall yesterday evening that caught everybody by surprise," a spokesman for Devon and Cornwall police said.

The spokesman said the drivers had been taken to rest centres around Exeter after scores of vehicles got stuck yesterday night.

"It was really scary -- to be stuck on my own in the car once the battery had gone. It was dark and it was cold," rescued motorist Alison Starkey told Sky TV.

Flights at Bristol and London's Luton airports were suspended and National Rail said several train routes were suffering delays and cancellations.

The Met Office is forecasting further snow falls over the weekend and into next week, with weather warnings for icy conditions in place across much of Britain.