In pictures: New Year freeze

The New Year has brought sub-zero temperatures to many parts of the UK, with lows of -8C (17.6F) forecast for much of southern England and Wales on Tuesday night.

Ice and snow has closed some schools and made for treacherous driving. Vehicle breakdown organisations have reported a 100% increase in the number in call-outs.

The severe drop in temperatures has also hit wildlife with birds frozen out of ponds and lakes.

However the cold snap has created rare sights like the frozen fountains at Trafalgar Square in London.

The 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards used the harsh weather to mark the leaving of their commanding officer, Lt Col Haderly, by smashing ice on the Serpentine lake in London's Hyde Park.

The cause of the freeze has been explained by BBC weather forecaster John Hammond as Arctic air which has swept across Scandinavia and over the North Sea.

Temperatures are still far from the record low of -27C (-16.6F) in northern Scotland 14 years ago, and the cold snap is expected to ease later in the week.

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