Big freeze continues to take toll

?Freezing conditions wreaked more havoc across the West Midlands today, forcing schools to close, water pipes to burst and hitting bin collections.

Problems were mounting up in Walsall, where five schools were shut, council bosses warned that half of the borough's bin collections would not take place and another water main burst - just 24 hours after a huge main ruptured flooding homes and causing major disruption.

Three schools in Sandwell were also closed, Lyng Primary and Eaton Valley Primary in West Bromwich and Stuart Bathurst Catholic High in Wednesbury.

In Wolverhampton the pool and creche at Bilston Leisure Centre remained closed after the boiler broke down.

Engineers were on site today but council spokesman Paul Brown said it was "unlikely" they would manage to fix the fault in time for the weekend. All schools in the city opened as usual today.

In Walsall, Willenhall School Sports College, Barr Beacon Language College, Frank F Harrison Engineeering College, Aldridge School and Barcroft Primary School in Walsall were all shut.

And council chiefs today warned up to half of bins in the borough may not be collected due to the cold weather.

Council bosses say conditions are slowing collections and making some areas, especially untreated side roads, inaccessible for the 26 tonne refuse trucks.

Meanwhile a water main in Hatherton Street cracked at 5.30pm yesterday, a day after Broadway North was flooded when a large pipe burst, shutting it until Sunday.

South Staffordshire Water today said burst water mains due to bad weather had increased four fold during the cold snap.