Snow and ice brought chaos to the Keighley district this week.

A major council gritting operation kept main roads and many pavements clear on Monday.

But countless minor and higher-level routes were impossible to negotiate.

And further snow and plummeting temperatures that night led to icy conditions the following morning.

All schools across the district were shut on Tuesday.

Bradford Council had taken the closure decision the previous afternoon, after consulting with head teachers.

Chief executive Tony Reeves said the decision was not taken lightly and was in the best interests of both children and parents, to ensure their safety and to allow parents to make child care arrangements.

He added: “It is schools being closed at short notice which causes most disruption to residents and the economy.”

Keighley & District Travel said bus services to some areas — including Stanbury, Fell Lane, Riddlesden and Laycock — were affected by the weather and other routes were subject to possible delays.

Ian Bairstow, the council’s strategic director for environment and neighbourhoods, said every effort had been made to try to keep main roads clear.

By Monday, 27 gritters had been out on the roads as part of a 24-hour operation and around 700 tonnes of rock salt had been used.

“In addition to the gritting vehicles, street cleansing staff were out hand-gritting pavements and pedestrian areas,” said Mr Bairstow. “The main priority routes around the Bradford district cover 250 miles and our vehicles worked overnight to keep traffic moving throughout the wintry weather.”

One 70-year-old woman who contacted the Keighley News on Tuesday morning said the surface of Strawberry Street, Keighley, where she lives, was like a “glass bottle”.

Sandra Ellis said the conditions were extremely dangerous for elderly people living in two blocks of flats.

She added it also created access problems for a nearby centre for the disabled.

“The council has said it is only gritting the bus routes and the main roads,” she said.

“I just feel so angry because every time we get snow we’re ignored.”

Leonard Falkingham, of Carr Lane, Riddlesden, said conditions were also treacherous on Tuesday morning in Granby Lane in the village.

“It was absolutely ridiculous,” he said.

“I’m nearly 80 years old and coming downhill in the morning at about nine o’clock was horrendous.

“Later on in the morning you couldn’t get back up the road.

“I don’t know what the council would have done if this had been like 20 or 30 years ago when we used to have two feet of snow.”