EMERGENCY teams were still battling to restore power supplies last night after gales, blizzards and freezing temperatures brought New Year misery to tens of thousands of the region's homes.

The Arctic blast brought down miles of power cables across the region. Teams were unable to reach the worst affected areas because of drifting snow several feet deep.

By daybreak yesterday, about 43,000 homes across the North-East and North Yorkshire were without electricity.

CE Electric - the company responsible for the region's power infrastructure - called up hundreds of staff to repair cables.

But, despite their best efforts, about 7,000 homes and businesses were still without power last night - 24 hours after they were plunged into darkness.

As temperatures fell below freezing once more, officials urged members of the public in the worst affected areas to keep a close check on elderly neighbours.

Police also warned people not to approach downed cables. Each one carries 11,000 volts - more than enough to kill.

Officials said the worst affected areas were in parts of County Durham and Tyneside.

In North Yorkshire, the Whitby area and the villages of Ampleforth, Easingwold, Sheriff Hutton, Oswaldkirk and Leppington, in Ryedale, were among the worst affected.

Yesterday afternoon, power remained off in East Cowton and High Coniscliffe, near Darlington, along with three areas in Tyneside and Wearside - North Shields, Washington and Rowlands Gill, in Gateshead - plus others in Northumberland.

David Gill, CE Electric customer liaison manager, said: "We knew bad weather was coming, but the freak combination of high winds, snow and ice gave us a major headache all the same."

He said things could have been much worse. The company spent £50m to strengthen overhead lines in the past year.

Hundreds of staff were recalled on New Year's Day to operate call centres in Newcastle and Leeds as people jammed switchboards.

Helicopters were used to reach lines in the most inaccessible areas when daybreak arrived.

The weather also disrupted New Year celebrations in Newcastle and Gateshead, and forced people to postpone hundreds of fireworks parties.

Revellers trying to make their way home became stuck on the A692 road between County Durham and Gateshead.

The storm was so fierce on the stretch known as Church Street, in Marley Hill, on the road to Burnopfield in County Durham, that the snow plough gave up and a mechanical digger could not help.

Police tried to pull cars out of snow drifts up to 3ft deep with a 4x4 vehicle, but gave up after two hours.

They contacted the nearby Beamish Park Hotel, in Beamish Burn Road, near Stanley, and staff opened the doors for the frozen motorists.

Acting Inspector Steve Smith, of Northumbria Police, said: "The hotel staff really were good Samaritans. They took them all in and gave them tea and biscuits."

Problems started on the road at about midnight. Police reported 14 people trapped in eight cars, with visibility reduced to 10ft.

"The weather was causing real problems out there and there was nothing anyone could do about it," said Insp Smith.

By the time the New Year was only 30 minutes' old, the number of cars stuck on the road had risen to 12, and police decided to move the occupants.

After more than two hours in the hotel, conditions improved and the motorists were ferried back to collect their cars and finish their journeys home.

The village of Melsonby, near Darlington, also suffered heavy snowfall and a power cut.

Some residents went 18 hours without electricity. Many were unable to leave the village because their cars were so deeply embedded in snow. One man said: "It's very thick snow and there doesn't seem to have been a lot of gritting going on."

In Northallerton, North Yorkshire, a falling tree crushed a car and narrowly missed homes.

Part of the A173 Stokesley Road was closed yesterday morning, after the winds blew over a tree, blocking the carriageway.

CE Electric issued two emergency numbers last night. Customers in the North-East should ring 0800 668877. Those in North Yorkshire should call 0800 375675.