CHILDREN keen to spend all day building snowmen and lobbing snowballs had their hopes dashed this morning when schools opened as usual.

The school run was helped by Islington Council’s road-gritting teams rolling into action overnight, as lessons went on as normal at all the borough’s schools.

The council said it remains readied after the Met Office reported more snow could be on the way, and has already ordered salt to keep stock levels high.

Councillor Paul Smith, Islington Council’s executive member for environment, said: “We are working hard to keep things moving in the snow. Residents and businesses can do their bit too, helping vulnerable neighbours or customers by clearing snow from outside their buildings.”

Street sweepers have been doing their bit to make the streets less perilous for pedestrians, shovelling snow from pavements and spreading a new salt mix that the council says will help to stop ice forming.

Islington has a network of 250 grit and salt bins, with a bin within 20 metres of every school, hospital, doctor’s surgery and emergency services station.

Most of the borough’s leisure facilities also remained open – although the outdoor football pitches at Finsbury Leisure Centre were forced to close.