THOUSANDS dreaming of a white Christmas finally had their wish come true today when Herefordshire and Worcestershire woke to a blanket of snow six inches deep in places.

Evening News weatherman Paul Damari said two-a-half inches fell in most of the county, with up to six on the Malvern Hills, as well as in parts of Herefordshire, north Bromsgrove and the Cotswolds.

"We haven't seen snow like this for a few years," he said. "People should be warned that the black ice, which appeared before the snowfall, still lies underneath.

"Driving on minor roads or country lanes should be avoided, if possible."

The treacherous snow and ice across the two counties left traffic struggling.

Lorries travelling up Shatterford Bank, near Kidderminster, and Dinmore Hill, near Hereford, were forced to reverse down again after they began to slide.

Worcester police spokeswoman Vicki Davies appealed for drivers to stay at home unless journeys were necessary.

"If you must drive, please remember to leave greater stopping distances and to travel at a considerably lower speed to avoid becoming another accident statistic," she said.

But Warwick Mead, of AA Roadwatch, said driving across the counties could have been worse.

"Because many people are on holiday there's not the usual rush hour traffic," he said.

"We've had around three inches, generally, which hasn't resulted in any roads being closed or blocked off. But it's likely to get busier later in the morning when people decide to go out.

"We'd urge drivers to be very, very careful on the roads."

Mr Damari predicts that tonight will be twice as cold as last night, with ground temperatures hitting around -12C. Freezing mist and fog will follow fresh snow showers, with visibility lowering to 100 yards.

"There could be more snow over the weekend, but temperatures will rise to above zero.

"Next week, warmer air from the Atlantic will most likely push the cold air aside, and the prospect of snow during January is remote - just more rain and floods."