Farmer with snow plough rescues punters stranded at UK's highest pub

More than 20 people have finally been rescued after getting trapped in Britain’s highest pub at the weekend due to being heavy snowfall.

The 23 guests, plus six staff members, have been at the Tan Hill Inn since Saturday evening, and can finally go home after two snowploughs have managed to reach them.

Two farmers led a convoy from the pub, in North Yorkshire, along a twisting moorland road to safety on Tuesday afternoon.

Four guests, including two German tourists and dog Agatha, decided not to risk the journey and stayed behind with the pub's six staff.

Pub owner Andrew Hields said: “We got a call at 2.30pm to say they had made it.

“The route is still treacherous, the staff will be going home as soon as it is safe for them.”

The rescue came as 23 guests, including three Australians, faced another day of being snowed in at the inn, which is 528 metres (1,732 ft) above sea level.

They had even started the process of booking a helicopter to rescue the stranded guests and staff who had been there since before New Year's Day.

On Monday the first plough got through, but wind drifted the snow behind it. In a separate attempt, a local sheep farmer in a Land Rover tried to reach the stranded pub but was beaten back.

The pub had enough food to last 40 days, but it had already run out of breakfast sausages and Malbec wine.

Pub manager Nicole Hayes was one of the staff members who stayed behind. Staff and guests settled down to a ‘curry evening’ on Tuesday night and watched Newcastle beat Arsenal 2-nil.

Nicole said: “It was a spicy night on both fronts.

"We have plenty of supplies, though we have ran out of sausages and the Australians have drank all the Malbec.

"We are safe and warm, but missing our families.”

A yellow weather