SNOW hero Craig Harris was up all night battling Arctic conditions in a bid to bring bread to the Forest.

Villages were cut off and the four main market towns were brought to a snowy standstill after eight inches fell in parts of the Forest in less than 24 hours.

But even though the blanket of snow closed schools, turned roads into ice rinks and brought many businesses to a halt, the blitz spirit, took hold with intrepid bravehearts like Craig.

The Bream breadman put in a mammoth 12-and-a-half hour shift to collect bread from a bakery in Dursley and distribute it across the Dean in the small hours of Wednesday morning.

Craig, 49, who runs CR Harris Transport and Bread Sales with his wife Sandra made eight separate trips in his 4x4 vehicle to make sure bread, rolls and cakes made their way to more than 40 customers including hospitals and old peoples homes.

Craig said: "It's just part of what we do. The bread was ready to go in Dursley and our customers were waiting for it so I just did what I could to make sure it was distributed to everyone who had placed orders."

He criss-crossed the Forest from Lydney to Lydbrook and Coleford to Cinderford in a quest to keep his customers happy.

He said: "I've had quite a few calls from happy customers thanking me for coming out. They all got everything they wanted and I'm planning to go out again."

Another brave delivery driver was Wayne Crisp, from Talbot Green, in South Wales. He drove his articulated lorry more than 100 miles in treacherous conditions to ensure Spar customers had milk.

He said: "It was mad getting here, the M4 was covered in snow.

"There was a lorry that had crashed in Monmouth and I couldn't go any further.

"So I turned back and got on the M4 to Sedbury, then went on the A48 to Elton Corner and up through Littledean.

He added: "The journey was no problem, I've been doing this three times a week for 16 years."

Firefighters and ambulance staff across the Forest battled through the drifts to keep the 999 services running.

Paramedic Paul Nicholls walked in deep snow from Bream to Coleford to make sure the local ambulance station was manned.

Most public services were suspended for the day but staff managed to keep libraries in Bream, Lydney and Cinderford open.

All the Forest schools were closed due to snow and bus services were suspended with the exception of the number 73 Gloucester to Lydney service. Coach boss James Bevan, from Lydney, described conditions in the town as grim and said he was trying to run a skeleton service but places like Yorkley were impassable and coaches could not get past parked cars on icy roads in Cinderford.

Snow ploughs and gritters were out in force to keep main and secondary routes open but driving conditions were hazardous and most people heeded warnings to stay at home. The A4136 in Mitcheldean was particularly treacherous and police shut the B4432 Symonds Yat road.

Coleford's mayor Sue Merrikin said it was easier to get a haircut in Coleford than a loaf of bread after barber Keith Morgan trekked into work from Broadwell. She praised local paramedics and firefighters for walking in.

In Newent district councillor Len Lawton said many shops opened as normal and there was a roaring trade in wellies. But the engineer fears bus shelters and flat roofs in the town may collapse under the weight of snow if the wintry weather continues.

The Forest of Dean District Council remained open with a skeleton staff and officers from different departments helped man the phones. Bin collections were cancelled and services are set to double up next week.

As the county council called for drivers with 4x4 vehicles to help deliver meals-on-wheels, many people struggled through the snow on foot to get food to the elderly.

Rescuers from Severn Area Rescue Association warned people to stay off frozen ponds after being called to a lake in the Wye Valley over fears someone had fallen through the ice.