Mall hopes to strike blow against snow

The snowblowers, which were supplied by Goole-based Honda dealer John B Backhouse, are capable of shifting up to 50 tonnes of snow per hour and will allow large areas of packed snow on pathways and car parks to be cleared safely and quickly.

They can also blast cleared snow up to 16 metres away from the machine.

Meadowhall centre director Darren Pearce said: “With yet another Arctic winter predicted to hit the UK, it is important to make sure that we are prepared for the worst of the bad weather.

“Christmas is our busiest time of the year, and our priority is to make sure that the centre is safe for visitors to access, and that adverse weather conditions do not force us to close during this demanding period.”