Warning to keep off frozen lakes

The river Thames in Wallingford (pic: Julian Philips)

Police have received "numerous" reports of people on frozen water

BBC Oxfordshire - snow information

In Pictures: Oxfordshire snowmen

People are being warned to keep off frozen lakes, ponds and rivers across Oxfordshire, as more freezing weather is set to continue.

Thames Valley Police received "numerous" reports on Saturday of children and adults on frozen water.

In Banbury, officers said they had been called out to several incidents in the past few days after people were seen attempting to walk on the frozen canal.

They said there was no way of knowing how solid or thick the ice was.

Banbury officer Pc Paul Froggatt said: "I have been called to a number of incidents over the past few days where people have been walking on the frozen water near to the Castle Quay Shopping Centre.

"In one incident, children were seen 20ft out into the middle on one of the widest parts of the canal.

"Not only are people putting themselves at risk but also the people involved in any subsequent rescue attempts.

"A couple of years ago somebody died after falling through ice, so I can't emphasise enough how dangerous this sort of activity is."

Less gritting

Meanwhile the county's major routes were "passable with care" on Saturday, the county council said.

It added motorists should take "extreme care" on minor roads.

Snowploughs and gritting teams remained out on main routes but were keeping back some supplies of salt to try to make them last.

The council said only 29% of the road network was being treated because of increasing restrictions on national supplies to local authorities.

The county is not currently a priority to take more deliveries.

More than 30 farmers are helping with snow ploughing, with the council saying their help was "one of the main reasons that routes to the large majority of villages are now passable".

Exam boards have said that examinations scheduled for next week are going ahead as planned in Oxfordshire.

The county council added it was doing all it could to ensure pupils could get to schools to sit exams.

Hundreds of schools were closed across Oxfordshire last week after up to 28cm (11in) of snow fell.