Emergency hotline for vulnerable

About 50 cars remained uncollected on Friday morning BBC Hampshire - snow information A3 reopened after traffic chaos In pictures: Winter weather

A Hampshire council has set up an emergency hotline for vulnerable people left without food and heating.

Southampton City Council said the weekend hotline would help people "in distress". The move comes as further freezing temperatures are predicted.

Hundreds of Hampshire homes have had their electricity restored after the heavy snow brought down power cables overnight on Wednesday.

Southern Electric said fewer than 200 homes were affected by Friday morning.

A spokesman for Southampton City Council said: "With sub zero temperatures and more snow forecast for the weekend the council encourages everyone to consider their neighbours and any elderly or vulnerable people they know.

Emergency hotline number 02380 233 344

"There may be vulnerable or older people unable to get out safely due to the weather, who cannot be visited by anyone, or are in serious trouble.

"Callers should ask to speak to the adult contact team."

About 1,800 homes in Hampshire, West Sussex and Surrey were without power on Thursday night due to the weather.

Areas around Waterlooville and Petersfield were badly affected - 800 homes were without power.

A total of 20,000 customers were hit by power cuts - some since Tuesday when the snow first fell.

The outage also affected a water pumping station causing problems with water supplies south west of Alton.

The BBC has learned there was a fresh wave of power cuts in the Winchester area on Friday afternoon.

The company said an underground cable broke at around midday, cutting electricity to at least 50 households.

Engineers were still working to repair the cable.

Recovery service

The A3 between Horndean and Buriton was reopened following the completion of emergency repairs.

The Highways Agency said engineers worked through the night on Thursday to fix overhead power cables brought down by the snow between junction 2 of the A3(M) and the junction with the B2070.

Meanwhile, police said work was continuing to recover 50 vehicles abandoned on the A3 on Tuesday night.

Hampshire Constabulary said 25 of the cars would be recovered by police. The remainder, parked on slip roads, are the responsibility of owners.

A spokesman said police were doing all they could to contact the owners of the cars and if they were not collected they would be removed.

I'd like to commend the efforts of public sector workers in Hampshire...who are doing the best they can to keep our roads open Basingstoke MP Maria Miller Maria Miller: From BBC Democracy Live

Police organised a free recovery service for motorists who abandoned their cars on the A3 after snow ploughs pushed snow on to cars and iced up doors and locks.

Up to 1,000 drivers were stranded when snow fell on Tuesday.

Drivers had originally been advised to call police to arrange for cars to be collected under supervision.

Police said the recovery and storage fee would be paid for by the Highways Agency.

Drivers must collect their cars by 0900 GMT on Saturday otherwise a storage fee will be charged.

Owners who have not already done so should contact Hampshire Constabulary on 101.

The University of Southampton will remain closed on Monday because it has run out of grit.

A spokesman said the situation would be reviewed on a daily basis.

Council gritting teams were due to continue treating "key" transport routes and primary roads, police said.

Dairy farmers have been throwing away milk because tankers had been unable to collect supplies.

Ed Cane, who has a farm in Ringwood, has had to throw away 10,000 litres.

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