"Since then, BAA has increased its Heathrow snowplough fleet by 68 to 185 at a cost of £32.4 million – part of a £50 million investment programme in equipment and staffing levels. But last night, as the Met Office placed most of Britain on amber alert, its second highest severe weather warning, the scrapping of flights by BAA prompted questions over why it had invested so heavily in equipment which appeared incapable of dealing with the weather. The decision was met with derision by passengers at the airport, where by 7pm yesterday a light covering of snow was on the ground although runways remained clear. Retired teacher Miriam Walters, 62, and husband Derek, 58, flew in on the 4.10pm flight from Moscow after visiting their daughter Penny. Mrs Walters said: ‘The runways at Moscow were covered with snow and still we managed to leave and arrive at our destination with no bother at all. It’s only when you go to other countries that you realise how pathetic we are at coping with a little bit of extreme weather.’
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