Two County Durham schools have been forced to close after heating issues amid a cold snap.

St Annes Church of England Primary School in Bishop Auckland and Greenland Community Primary School in Stanley closed their doors on Tuesday (November 19) morning.

Both schools said they had no heating and plan to reopen on Wednesday.

It comes as freezing temperatures hit the UK overnight with many waking up to a first glimpse of winter with a covering of snow in areas.

St Annes’ headteacher Mrs Binks said in a post on social media: “Unfortunately we have no heating in school today so we are unable to open for the children as it is too cold.

“I am hopeful that an engineer can come out today to get it up and running again for tomorrow. I will keep you updated. I am sorry for the inconvenience I know this will cause.”

Meanwhile, temperatures at Greenland Primary were like those in Greenland after its heating broke. The school posted on Facebook: “As you may be aware, we have had several issues with our heating system [on Monday]. Despite numerous contractors being on-site throughout the day to rectify the problem, we are still without heating.

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“For this reason, the school will be closed to all pupils and staff today (Tuesday). Apologies for the inconvenience this has caused.”

A number of schools in England and Wales were closed on Tuesday due to the cold weather.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued the first amber cold weather health alert of the season, warning conditions could be dangerous for vulnerable people, including the elderly.