Seven Britons trapped in snow-covered pub for over a week

LONDON - Seven people have been trapped inside a pub in Britain for the past nine days after the building was engulfed by 16 feet of snow.

Five staff and two residents have been trapped since Nov 26 at The Lion Inn in Blakey Ridge in North Yorkshire, the Daily Mail reported Sunday.

The people were cut off when heavy snow blocked the windows and doors of the isolated pub and made its approach roads too treacherous for any vehicles to pass.

The snow was so deep that vehicles in the car park were completely buried.

But despite their ordeal, the spirits of the trapped people have remained high. They have kept themselves busy - eating, drinking and playing games - in the bar that normally serves 150 customers a night.

“It was really novel at first and quite exciting. The snow is immense. Most of the windows in here are blocked up, but we’ve got a door open at the back to get some air when we need to,” waitress Katie Underwood, 18, said.

“It’s been freezing, but we’ve been lucky that it’s a pub and B&B (bed and breakfast) we’re trapped in. We’ve got plenty of coal for our fire, which has been great, and there are rooms upstairs so we have somewhere to sleep, and plenty of food.”

Katie is there with colleagues Rob Sinley, 22, Joe Bell, 20, Stuart Dowson, 25, and Danny Butterworth, 23, along with the two local residents.

“We never imagined it would be for this long. We’ve been having a lot of fun - most nights we’ve been playing Monopoly or another board game, as well as keeping a beverage close by for warmth!” she said.

Britain is expected to remain wrapped up in freeze and fog until the weekend, weather officials have forecast, as temperatures dropped further, halting air and rail transport across the country and other parts of Europe.

Temperatures plunged to as low as -15 degrees Celsius in some parts of Britain, causing disruptions for motorists and rail and air passengers.