CARE workers Evette Williams and Katie Butcher are among the many professional good Samaritans who battled through the snow and ice to reach old and disabled people.

They were joined by doctors, nurses, shopkeepers, builders and an army of volunteers who all went the extra mile.

Many carers across the Forest were forced to abandon their cars and walk miles to reach people, as well as take on extra shifts.

Lydney workers Evette Williams and Katie Butcher were singled out for praise. Evette of Primrose Hill said: "It's been quite difficult trudging up and down hills but what else can you do? People need us to get them in and out of bed and make their food. There's one lady who would have been stuck in a wheelchair all night if we hadn't managed to reach her."

Eileen Fisher walked three miles in the snow to visit a someone in Whitecroft.

Three young boys came to the aid of care workers Jenny Howe and Philippa Loftus when their car got stuck in the snow in Hartpury.

Local heroes volunteered their 4x4s so carers could reach priority cases and the WRVS could distribute meals on wheels to remote areas of the Forest.

But there were also hero shopworkers who did their best to make sure we did not run out of food and drink,

Kuldip Bhandal braved treacherous driving conditions to make a 150mile round-trip to Birmingham to bring vital supplies to his customers at Eskimarket in Coalway when shelves were emptied by panic buyers.

He said: "We couldn't get milk and salt in this area and our bread delivery was stuck in Bristol. The driving conditions were not very good and we past a lot of accidents but I have a 4x4 which made it a lot easier."

Adam Scott was forced to bed down in his Coleford greengrocers after getting snowed in bringing vital supplies of fruit and veg to the Forest.

The popular shopkeeper was forced to make extra trips to Cardiff to keep his regulars supplied after customers started ransacking the shelves when the supermarkets ran out.

One night he could not get home to Kilcot and had to resort to an emergency sleeping bag in his truck.In Coleford staff at the Co-op supermarket literally stepped in when a delivery lorry got snowed in and ferried the food on foot.

Spokesman Andy Cresswell said: "Our staff at Coleford went above and beyond the call of duty. They braved the snow and showed true Mid-counties spirit by working as a team and helping the stranded lorry driver."

Cinderford builders KW Bell Group cleared around eight inches of snow from the Dilke hospital car park to make sure patients could make their appointments.

Company chairman Keith Bell aso helped Littledean School, Colliers Court and several other public places.

He said: "I was driving past and saw the car park was in a terrible state so we offered to help."

Employee Jason Coopey used a mini-excavator to clear the snow from the hospital.

Councillor Terry Hale was praised by the locals in Newland and Coleford for tireless efforts to try and keep the grit bins filled.

The Newland based councillor braved icy roads in his trusty Volvo and trailer to pick up grit and salt from Cannop.

Several times he filled a number of bins in Newland, Milkwall and Coleford.

Bosses say staff at both the Dilke and Lydney hospitals are heroes after walking to work or working extra shifts to make sure patients did not suffer.