. . . temperatures plummet to -20C
DAILY MAIL – Britain faced the coldest night of the winter so far last night as the death toll from the freezing weather continues to rise.

No-go: A makeshift ‘road closed’ sign, placed there by a resident of Brislington in Bristol today, informs drivers not to attempt to climb the hill due to sheet ice on the road

Temperatures were expected to drop to lower than -20C in the Scottish Highlands tonight, following lows of -17.7C in Benson, Oxfordshire and -15C in Manchester overnight – the same temperatures found in domestic freezers.

As the snow turned to ice, the treacherous conditions across the country claimed the lives of at least five people.

Downing Street was also forced to wade into the growing row over gritting stocks as councils complained they were being forced to spread supplies more thinly on Britain’s frozen roads.

In the latest death, a sports fan attending the World Darts Championships was found in a frozen lake near the competition venue.

The man, believed to be in his 40s, was discovered under ice close to the Lakeside Country Club in Surrey where the televised event is being held.

A 16-year-old boy was killed after the car he was travelling in crashed on the A1 near Richmond, North Yorkshire.

Snow fun: A man skis down Dean Street in Newcastle city centre yesterday.

The teenager and his mother, from Hebburn in Northumbria, are believed to have been making their way to the hard shoulder after colliding with the central reservation when they were struck by a lorry.

Fire crews spent three hours trying to release the boy who had become trapped under the lorry, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A spokesman for the North Yorkshire fire service said: ‘The roads were treacherous. It was -6C (21.2F) and there were widespread icy roads.’

Stocks of grit were dwindling as a series of accidents on major routes added to difficulties for millions of drivers.

There was also growing anger last night tonight after hundreds of thousands of children were given another day off school.

Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese criticised headteachers, saying many closures ‘seem to be unnecessary’.