A day late - but Shropshire gets its white Christmas

Snow began falling on Boxing Day afternoon, starting in Oswestry and Ellesmere at about 3pm, moving down to cover Telford, Shrewsbury, and even Church Stretton by 5pm.

A main route between the West Midlands and south Shropshire was closed due to snowy conditions after a car with trailer jack-knifed on it.

The A4117 between Ludlow and Cleobury Mortimer was closed at Clee Hill, next to the junction with the B4214 to Tenbury Wells, due to dangerous icy conditions at about 7pm.

Operations and Communications Centre Inspector James Ashton said: "The road was closed because of snow.

"There was a vehicle towing a trailer that jackknifed, which caused other vehicles to stop and they couldn't get started again because of the conditions.

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"The Highways Agency sent someone to clear the road," he said.

Boxing Day shoppers at Tesco on Wrekin Retail Park were met Christmas-card like scenes as the car park and store were covered in a layer of white in a matter of hours

The snowfall followed a yellow alert warning from the Met Office that continues to be in force for the duration of today.

The New Saints' match against Cefn Druids at Park Hall, Oswestry, was abandoned in the second half as the snow fell.

Earlier forecasters had said there was some uncertainty about which parts of the country would be worst affected.

Where snow does fall, it could be between 2cm (0.8in) and 4cm (1.6in) and in excess of 10cm on higher ground.

Conditions should become more settled as the weekend proceeds with sleet and snow clearing by tomorrow but the mercury is likely to plunge below freezing overnight in much of the UK next week.

Krista Mitchell, at the Met Office, said: "As we go towards Monday and Tuesday, we will see overnight temperatures really drop, with widespread frost and most places dropping below freezing."