SNOW ground Holloway Road to a halt on Saturday as cars and buses struggled to cope with the elements.

Traffic was at a standstill for much of the afternoon on the busy Islington road and the surrounding areas, as drivers attempted to battle against the vicious weather.

Holloway Road resident Giles Cuddy said: “I was walking to the Tube station and there were cars stuck in never-ending traffic on the northbound carriageway. It was mayhem.

“The road was in a complete state and it looked like nothing had been done to clear away the snow, or even to grit the roads.”

A number of drivers travelling on Tufnell Park Road were forced to get out and push their cars up the slope, as their vehicles failed to cope with the slippery slush.

Liberal Democrat councillor Arthur Graves, representative for Junction ward and a Tufnell Park Road resident, expressed frustration at the lack of grit and snow clearance.

He said: “The environment representatives for the council say that the roads have been gritted but I could see no evidence of it. I have spoken to people from other boroughs, and they said that their roads had also been left. It seems as though the authorities in Islington took a weekend off at the worst possible time. Labour should have prepared for this.”

A spokesman for Transport for London, responsible for Holloway Road’s maintenance, said: “Our gritters had been out 24/7 this weekend to clear away as much of the snow as possible.”

Councillor Paul Smith, Islington Council’s executive member for environment, said: “Our staff have been working round the clock to keep Islington moving and safe.

“I’d like to thank the residents and businesses who have also been doing their bit and gritting the pavement near their homes and premises.”

Elsewhere in the borough, the snow was greeted with glee, as families took to the parks to take part in some frosty fun.