The Armed Forces have been forced to step in as police and hospitals struggle to cope with freezing weather sweeping across Britain.

Nearly every part of the country was hit by snowfall and gales as the Met Office said Thursday was the UK's coldest spring day on record.

Forecasters are warning of life-threatening conditions and said winter “is still in control” as Storm Emma arrived with the country already in the grip of Siberian cold air nicknamed the Beast from the East.

The death toll from the storms rose to 10 after a seven-year-old girl died whilst playing in the snow in Cornwall when a car hit a house.

More than 1,000 schools were closed during disruption which is being described as the worst "in a generation", and hospitals cancelled non-urgent operations and appointments.