LUDLOW and south Shropshire was hit by heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures causing widespread disruption.

March is the start of spring but the weather had failed to read the script.

Heavy snow started falling on Thursday and continued into Friday as cold air from the north met warmer air coming in from the south.

Friday evening is predicted to be cold but over the weekend the warmer weather is forecast to win and a rapid thaw to follow.

But this was not before winter imposed its icy grip with what could prove to have been a potent last hurrah.

Schools were hit the hardest with a long list of primary secondary and special school closures across south Shropshire.

The Primary School closed were Bishops Hooper at Ashford Carbonell, Bishops Castle Primary, Bitterley, Brown Clee, Burford, Chirbury, Clee Hill Community Academy, Cleobury Mortimer Primary, Clunbury, Ludlow Primary, Lydbury North, St George's Clun, St Laurence Ludlow, St Lawrence Church Stretton, St Mary's Bucknell and Winstanstow.

Secondary Schools in south Shropshire closed were: Church Stretton Academy, the Community College Bishops Castle, Lacon Child School, Cleobury Mortimer and Ludlow Church of England.

Special schools shut because of the weather included: Acorns at Woodlands at Bishops Castle Community College and TMBSS Ludlow Education Centre.

The Leisure Centre in Ludlow remained open but the Friday morning aquatics session was cancelled, the leisure centres in Church Stretton and a SpArC in Bishops Castle were closed.

Bus services were badly hit with the following either cancelled or operating a limited service: 292 Kidderminster to Ludlow, 435 Shrewsbury to Ludlow, 701 Ludlow Town service. 722 Ludlow Park and Ride, 738 Knighton to Ludlow, 745 Pontesbury to Ludlow.

Shropshire Council had 25 gritting lorries trying to keep county roads open.