Kent commuters heading to London faced a nightmare this morning as Southeastern suspended all mainline services because of ice on the tracks.

Passengers were advised not to travel until after 9am. Services were due to resume then but were expected to be limited in number and overcrowded due to the backlog.

Ice insulates tracks and prevents the power the trains need getting through.

Customers are advised to consult National Rail before travelling - on 08457 484950 - and view the JourneyCheck section on Southeastern's website.

kmfm's John Webster, who was at Ashford International Station this morning, said: "It was like a circus. The station was heaving and nobody knew what was going on.

"Passengers had to ask staff what had happened to their trains. Cars that had dropped off passengers at the station returned to pick them up when they couldn't get their trains."

Audio: Southeastern's Sarah Boundy explains why the trains were affected.

Last night, one train got stuck between Canterbury and Faversham at around 11.30pm.

Passengers were stranded on the train for over three hours in freezing temperatures and much of the time in the dark.

Another train towed the stricken vehicle back to Canterbury where a replacement bus was waiting.