FREEZING conditions and several inches of snow fall have put Helsby High School’s cross country running teams’ national finals competition hopes on ice.

The Chester Road school’s running teams had fought their way to the national finals which were due to be held on Saturday at Alnwick, Northumberland, but heavy snowfall has caused chaos to road, rail and air travel across the region, forcing organisers to cancel the event until March

PE teacher Nicola Wilkes, who has been training the teams after school since September, said: “Although we’re disappointed it’s been cancelled, it’s a bonus in a way.

“They didn’t have a team at the start of the year, we brought in a girl who rows, a girl who is naturally quite fit and a girl who joined the school from Russia, so they can get a bit more experience.

“They’ve been a surprise package.

“Looking at the form of the other schools it will be very difficult, but it will be good.”

The Helsby High School teams, including junior runners from Year 7 and Year 8 with the intermediate runners chosen from Year 9 and Year 10 pupils, will compete against 24 schools from across the country.