Blizzard conditions have forced the Scottish Premier League meeting between Dundee and Hibernian to be abandoned at Dens Park.

The BBC One Scotland live game started with a frosty pitch bathed in sunshine.

But, after Dundee had taken an early lead, a heavy snow shower quickly covered the playing surface.

Referee Alan Freeland took the players into the dressing-room for 10 minutes in the hope that conditions might improve and allow the lines to be swept clear.

Mark Burchill had warmed up in sunshine

However, the game was abandoned after 26 minutes of play with Dundee leading through that goal from Fabian Caballero.

Neither manager disputed the decision, but Dundee boss Jim Duffy said: "It is one of those things, but it is frustrating for us, especially as it stopped within 15 minutes.

"The referee said he couldn't see the lines on the pitch and that the weather forecast was for sporadic falls, so he had a decision to make.

"Years ago, we would have just got the brushes out and got on with it, but football has changed and we can't complain."

Hibs boss Bobby Williamson admitted he did not even want to travel to Dundee to fulfil the fixture and insisted that the SPL should start looking at postponing matches in advance if weather forecasts are bad.

The Hibs team bus had driven through a blizzard to reach the ground and Williamson said: "We have no complaints about calling it off, the conditions were too bad.

"Middlesbrough cancelled their fixture on Friday to save people travelling and wasting their money.

"Maybe we should look at that and take things from it."

Duffy had resisted the temptation to throw new signing Mark Burchill into the fray from the start, leaving the former Celtic striker on loan from Portsmouth on the bench.

Spanish forward Nacho Novo returned to the starting line-up instead, taking the place of defender Barry Smith.

The match quickly became unplayable

Hibs recalled midfielder John O'Neil to the starting line-up after two substitute appearances.

But it was Dundee who started the better, consistently carving open the Hibs defence.

It was no surprise when they took the lead after 12 minutes.

Garry Brady played a perfectly-weighted pass from the right channel to Novo, who then slipped a neat ball into strike partner Caballero, who drove the ball into the corner from the edge of the box.

Unfortunately for Dundee, the snow then came down after 20 minutes and six minutes later ended their hopes of pulling to within three points of Hibs in the race to finish in the top six.