England is bracing itself for wintry weather with a blanket of snow forecast to fall across much of the country.
The North East experienced light snowfall on Wednesday morning, but up to 6ins (15cm) of snow was expected to fall later in a number of regions.
The worst-hit areas are expected to be hilly parts of the Midlands, such as the Cotswolds, with East Anglia and the south of England also expecting snow.
The Highways Agency said it had 400 salt-spreading vehicles on standby.
It said England's motorways and major A-roads would be treated with salt before the snow arrived, while work to treat and clear the roads would continue throughout the cold snap.
Racing off
Early snow in the North East was worst in coastal areas, with a light coating in Newcastle.
Horse racing meetings at Carlisle and Ludlow were called off because of frost.
Bob Davies, clerk of the course at Ludlow, said: "It went down to -10C (14F) and we have got frost an inch-and-a-half (3.8cm) into the ground."
The Met Office issued a warning of heavy snow spreading north east across England on Wednesday night, extending across the Midlands, London, the South East and East Anglia during Thursday morning.
It said the band of snow would continue to push into northern England by the end of the morning and would continue through the afternoon and evening.
While people in the Midlands were warned to expect up to 6ins (15cm) of snow, the Met Office said London and the South East could see up to 2ins (5cm) by Thursday morning's rush hour.
