Big freeze brings chaos
Schools were closed, bin collections cancelled and scores of people injured on icy roads and pavements today as temperatures plummeted to -10C (13F).
The West Midlands suffered its coldest night for 22 years as weather forecasters warned of more wintry weather to come.
Overnight, temperatures in urban areas of the West Midlands fell to -7C (19.4). Suburbs suffered far lower temperatures, with -10.5 (13.F) recorded in Worcestershire.
See also: Icy Midlands - your pictures.
In Wolverhampton, Aldersley High School, the largest in the city, was closed to pupils because of a burst water pipe.
Heating problems also closed Trinity Primary School in Heath Town, Wolverhampton; Walsall Wood Primary School in Brownhills; Brandhall Primary School in Oldbury and Priory Primary in Wednesbury.
In Walsall, bin collections were abandoned today because of the treacherous conditions. A total of 2,000 bins were left uncollected yesterday, and today the council decided not to send its crews out at all for health and safety reasons.
Environment boss Councillor Rachel Walker said: "Some of our heavier vehicles have been unable to access side roads."
Other councils managed to complete normal collections. In Sandwell, some rubbish and recycling collections were suspended yesterday. There were also problems in Dudley.
West Midlands Ambulance Service had taken 1,200 calls by 5.30pm yesterday, many from people injured through slips on ice.
Helen Chivers, from the Met Office, said last night's temperatures were the coldest since January 1987, when they plunged to -13C (9F) in Worcestershire.
