Concerns as temperatures plunge

Daytime temperatures are not expected to rise to more than 3C

Temperatures of -12C have been recorded in some parts of Devon and Cornwall.

Elderly residents who are struggling to deal with the cold are being encouraged to contact their local branch of Age Concern for help.

The charity has launched a three-month project to support people over the winter, including helping people to claim benefits they are entitled to.

The freezing weather is also thought to have been responsible for a number of burst water mains.

This has led to some schools closing while work is carried out to get them fixed.

Icy conditions also put a temporary stop to production at an ice cream factory, when pipes froze at the Langage Farm factory near Ivybridge.

Motorists have been urged to drive with extreme care as ice is affecting some roads, despite gritting lorries operating throughout the night.

Some of the handrails have fallen off the balconies at Latitude 52

The icy temperatures are also believed to have caused several balcony handrails to fall off a block of flats in Plymouth.

It is thought the bolts on the handrails at Latitude 52 in Albert Road, Devonport, were affected by the freezing conditions, causing them to dislodge.

Police have cordoned off the building which has resulted in businesses on the ground floor having to shut for the day.

Building surveyors have been at the scene to assess the situation.