Rail commuters are facing travel chaos after the West Coast Mainline was closed due to a fallen tree.

The tree at Lambrigg, Cumbria, brought down the overhead power line on the track, affecting services throughout the day.

Network Rail said the plan was to close the line following the tree fall at 6.30am, and that it was likely to remain shut into the early hours of tomorrow.

Services between Preston and Glasgow are also facing cancellation and delays due to signalling problems.

The Met Office had issued severe weather warnings for much of the western side of the UK.