Hundreds prepare for third night with no power in Cumbria after heavy snow

A person with a shovel in the village of Ings in snow-hit Cumbria. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

Hundreds of homes and businesses have spent a second day without power in freezing conditions in Cumbria after heavy snow caused extensive damage to the energy network.

The heaviest blizzard in years forced the closure of dozens of schools across the county while more than 500 properties prepared for a third night without power.