Snow sweeps across region spelling travel delays for some and fun for others

As the temperature plummeted, many people woke up to find the West Midlands covered in a blanket of snow on Wednesday.

It meant longer travel times for commuters, with drivers warned to expect congestion on the roads.

Emergency services issued advice on careful driving due to snow and ice making for more dangerous driving conditions.

National Express West Midlands said it had to divert some buses and reported delays across its network in the morning due to weather related issues.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, West Midlands Fire Service and West Midlands Ambulance Service warned motorists to be extra careful during the cold snap.

Walsall Council also urged residents to be careful when walking or cycling near waterways and not to venture onto ice.

And Wolverhampton Council reported difficulties in accessing some streets to collect bins.

At Trentham Monkey Forest in Staffordshire, the residents enjoyed the snowfall, posing for photos taken by attraction staff.

The Barbary macaques originate from the atlas mountain regions of Algeria and Morocco, so can live in the Trentham woodland all year round.

The Met Office also issued a yellow warning for 'snow and ice' for the region on Wednesday morning.

On Thursday in the West Midlands, there is expected to be a cold and frosty start, although it will be fairly cloudy too with some wintry showers, according to The Met Office.

It is expected to become mostly dry with plenty of winter sunshine developing during the day and the maximum temperature is expected to be 5C (41F).

It is also forecast to be dry and sunny on Friday after a cold, frosty start.

Over the weekend The Met Office says it will stay largely dry with some morning frost and fog giving way to bright spells.

Elsewhere in the UK on Wednesday, a major incident was declared in Somerset due to the risk of flooding across the county.

Some rail routes across England and Wales were also disrupted.

The Gatwick Express between London Victoria and Brighton; Southern between London Victoria and Littlehampton and Thameslink between Bedford / Cambridge and Brighton were affected by delays and cancellations due to flooding between Haywards Heath and Brighton.

David Renard, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said: "As temperatures start to plummet once again, councils are ready to work around the clock to grit roads and pavements to make sure that people are kept safe and local communities can get out and about.

"Councils have stockpiled 1.4 million tonnes of salt and are using new and innovative technologies where they can to ensure those areas that are most treacherous are kept clear and safe for use.

"During these cold spells, it is those who may be elderly or who have a respiratory disease who are at more at risk of ill health and are in need of more support. As some people may choose to limit their heating use due to the impact of rising energy bills and so councils are again people to check up on those that may need more help. It could help save lives."