The £1.5bn freeze: As travel chaos continues, the country counts economic cost

By SEAN POULTER and RAY MASSEY Cars on the A413 road near Amersham in Buckinghamshire first thing this morningThe economy has suffered a £1.5billion ‘big freeze’ shock from travel chaos, lost production and savaged High Street sales.The cost is 50 per cent higher than a normal winter and has prompted a string of cut-price offers from shops desperate to lure back lost Christmas trade.Yesterday the