Thousands of people woke up to snow - two weeks after spring officially started.

One to two inches fell across parts of Sussex in the early hours of yesterday and there were reports of snow settling across the South East, forecasters said.

While most of it was beginning to melt yesterday morning, the wintry conditions led to severe problems on the railways.

Thousands of commuters suffered long delays, with some having to take replacement buses where routes were closed due to signalling problems.

Buses had to run between Hastings and Tonbridge because of signalling problems at Tunbridge Wells in Kent. This affected passengers travelling with the South Eastern and Southern train companies.

Southern passengers had to use buses between Crowborough and Uckfield due to signalling problems.

Sussex Police said there were a few minor accidents in the north of the county overnight because of the snow.

At one point, drivers on the M23 were unable to see the road markings and traffic was warned to slow down.

Police said they were not issuing warnings to motorists because the snow was melting.

PA WeatherCentre forecaster Rachel Vince said: "There were reports of one to two inches of snow in places. It's stopped falling now. It will melt away throughout the day. Hopefully that's the last of the snow for a few days at least."

The Met Office issued a severe weather warning early yesterday but it is no longer in place.

On Saturday, heavy snowfall caused a Premiership football match to be abandoned. Bottom club Sunderland's clash with Fulham was stopped with just 21 minutes played after both goalkeepers complained they were struggling to see.

Referee Mike Riley agreed conditions on the pitch were too dangerous and the game was abandoned, with more than 30,000 fans inside the Stadium of Light.