MANY people woke up to a covering of snow at the weekend but for Hartlepool residents the white wintry vista wasn’t all that it seemed.

Homes and cars on the headland were covered in white foam blown of the North Sea by strong winds.

The scenes were sparked by freezing temperatures, but the town had escaped the snow which caused chaos across other parts of the country.

The Headland's problems continued Sunday night (March 24) when it was hit by a power cut just after 7pm.

While the area was battered with spume, it was a different story along the coast nearby Seaton Carew where gale force winds blew the sand off the beach and on to The Front.

People visiting the shops along the seafront were sand-blasted, while drivers had to slow down to get over piles of sand in the middle of the road.