West Midlands schools and theme parks stay closed due to snow

A snowy scene at Wenlock Edge, Shropshire

Schools and theme parks across the West Midlands will stay shut on Friday as weather warnings remain in place.

Amber alerts for heavy snow still affect parts of Shropshire and Staffordshire, with continued travel disruption likely.

Elsewhere, a yellow weather warning over large swathes of the region is in place until 14:00 GMT on Friday.

Forecasters predict rain will yield to drier and brighter weather on Friday, with a frosty start to the weekend.

About 250 West Midlands schools were forced to close on Thursday, with staff keeping a close eye on conditions overnight.

Some schools and services have already announced decisions to remain shut, due to treacherous commutes.

Worfield Endowed Church of England Primary School in Bridgnorth was one of 250 schools in the region closed on Thursday

The Corbet School, an academy for 11-16 year olds in Baschurch, Shrewsbury, said it had taken an early decision to put plans in place for remote learning.

Many of the school's staff living in areas covered by the amber weather warning would have faced an "even trickier" journey in, headteacher Dr Jane Tinker wrote on social media.

Neighbouring Baschurch Primary also announced it would remain shut, while in Birmingham, Baskerville School and George Dixon Academy revealed pupils would continue learning remotely on Friday.

Stratford-upon-Avon and Solihull Colleges said they too would provide online learning, due to "difficulties that staff and students faced in commuting".

Drayton Manor said it was closing Friday to ensure the safety of guests and staff

Meanwhile, attractions including West Midlands Safari Park and Drayton Manor apologised to visitors disappointed by their decisions to keep their gates closed on Friday.

"We hope any affected guests understand our decision," said the safari park on its Facebook page, adding it would contact customers who had pre-booked.

West Midlands Safari Park said its priority was keeping its animals safe

Council services face ongoing disruption, with authorities including Coventry and the Black Country promising to catch up on missed bin collections and gritters out treating major routes overnight.

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council apologised for cancelled bin collections

Bins missed in Sandwell would now be emptied on 16 March, the authority said, while Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council cancelled Friday garden waste collections to allow refuse workers to catch up.

Walsall Council said three markets, in Walsall, Willenhall and Bloxwich, would close on Friday due to "safety concerns" for traders and customers, although they are expected to reopen at the weekend.

Walsall market is one of three in the area that will remain closed on Friday

National Highways is still advising people to avoid non-essential travel overnight, and plan for disruption to journeys.

Bus providers Stagecoach and National Express West Midlands have apologised to passengers suffering ongoing delays and cancellations, directing them to regular updates on social media channels.

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