Snow arrived in Leicestershire this morning as the cold snap continues across the UK.

After a chilly night which saw temperatures in Leicestershire fall as low as -4C, a sprinkling of snow fell in parts of the county and it was just enough to get a few people commenting.

@DebbieJane18 we got some now!! Like u said, only little flakes but enough to make me smile :) #lovethesnow x

@samarthur1 There's a few flakes of snow on my car. Is school cancelled?

@tweetcrease Snowing in Syston! There's about 60 centimetres... Replace the word 'centimetres' with 'flakes' for accuracy!

@kellybennett81 Tiny little snow flakes r falling in Leicester :-)

The cold weather is set to continue with temperatures falling to minus -4C tonight and -6C tomorrow.

See the five-day forecast for Leicester and Leicestershire.

Forecasters are predicting snow over the weekend and say a respite from the big freeze is not expected until Monday, when milder temperatures are expected.

Meanwhile, the Met Office has raised fears for the elderly and ill by issuing a serious England-wide weather alert.

The forecaster issued its first country-wide Level 3 Cold Weather Alert of the winter – the second most serious.

The Met Office said: “This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services.”

The only higher alert is Level 4, which sees normally healthy people at risk from the cold.

Michelle Mitchell, charity director at Age UK, explained how dangerous the conditions can be for the elderly.

“It may have been relatively mild so far this year but the winter can be a dangerous time for older people,” she said.

“Many people believe that the only risk of winter weather is getting a cold, but the risk is much greater.

“Low temperatures raise blood pressure, which puts people at a greater risk of heart attacks and strokes, as well as increasing the likelihood and severity of flu and other respiratory problems."

See the Met Office weather warnings for the East Midlands.