Council workers have halted local authority services across the country, with schools and refuse collections worst affected

In Belfast, the zoo was forced to close after ticket sales staff walked out, although keepers were working as normal to look after the animals' welfare.

Schools have closed their doors because thousands of school caretakers, teaching assistants, dinner ladies and other support staff have joined the strike.

We are victims of the strike but nothing has been done to help us

Dud Malk, Wolverhampton market traders

In Newcastle, all but three of the Local Education Authority's (LEA's) 102 primaries and secondaries were closed.

In Cardiff, at least 65 schools shut while in Swansea just four out of 109 were open.

Other services affected in Swansea included a swimming pool and all leisure centres.

Meals-on-wheels services were operating as normal.

Birmingham bucked the trend with 90% of schools open and all leisure centres and museums unaffected.

There was an estimated 8% turnout for the strike - with just over 3,000 council staff walking out, from a workforce of 38,000.

In Belfast, there were no refuse collections, all libraries were closed and the city's zoo shut its doors.

Funeral planning

All cemeteries and crematoriums were open, but no funerals took place.

Funeral directors across the country said they had to work around the strike and had advised bereaved families they would not accept bookings for 17 July.

Colin Lightfoot from Arnold and District Funeral Services in Nottingham, said: "We can't make arrangements for any funerals for another 24 hours because we can't speak to anyone at the council."

Markets were closed in many areas, including Newcastle and St Albans.

Traders arrived at Wolverhampton's indoor market on Wednesday morning to find the doors locked and council workers on the picket line.

Some staff ignored picket lines

However, instead of heading for home, some of the traders, faced with losing thousands of pounds, set up their pitches outside.

Dud Malk, chairman of the Wolverhampton branch of the market traders federation, said: "We are victims of the strike but nothing has been done to help us.

"People have already paid their rent in advance but the doors are locked and we are not allowed to trade."

In some areas though, councils reported that many workers had gone to work as usual.

Some staff braved shouts of "scab" in Walsall to get into work and in Staffordshire, employers reported one in five ignored the picket lines.

In Canterbury, a local pay agreement between unions and the city council meant all staff turned up for work and it was business as usual.