THOUSANDS of children and hundreds of teachers enjoyed a second unexpected day off as renewed snowfall resulted in more school closures and cancelled bus routes.

At least 23 schools were closed across Dorset yesterday including Dorchester’s Thomas Hardye School, Buckland Newton Primary School, Dorchester Middle School, Dorchester Learning Centre, Manor Park First School and St Osmund’s Middle School.

Pupils also enjoyed a ‘snow day’ off from St Andrew’s Primary School and Wyvern School in Weymouth.

In Broadmayne, Callum Bedford and his friend Alistair Bates, both aged nine, enjoyed a snowball fight.

Callum said: “It’s a really good day, we have a day off school.

“We’ve been playing snowballs all morning.”

Callum’s dad Martin said: “It’s good – they got a snow day as the school was closed.

“We don’t see a lot of it in Dorset so let them enjoy it.

“I can’t remember the last time it snowed – I think it was when Callum was quite young.”

In West Stafford a dozen youngsters took to their sledges, built a snowman and a snow chair and had snowball fights.

Charlie Hitchcock, aged 10, was delighted when St Mary’s Middle School in Puddletown closed for the day.

He said: “It’s great, really fun.

“We all have a day off.

“I’ve known it to snow before but only when I was little.”

Sue Chamberlain, a teaching assistant at the school, said it was a ‘great day’ for the staff as well as the children.

She said: “How nice it is for the children to enjoy snow, they only get to do it once every 10 years.

“We were in school yesterday and every class was about six kids down because of the problems of getting in.”

Her son Alfie, aged 12, said he had been up since 7.30am, sledging, throwing snowballs and making snowmen.

He added: “It barely ever happens so it’s quite good.”

Ben Taylor was more than pleased to get the day off to enjoy the snow, because it coincided with his 15th birthday.

He said: “I go to Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester and the bus didn’t come.

“I think it’s the first time it’s snowed since I’ve been here and I’ve lived here four-and-a-half years.

“It’s pretty good to have snow on your birthday.”

Wintery conditions meant dozens of day centres closed yesterday, including Dorchester Day Centre, The Ridgeway Centre, Crossroads Day Centre, Bridport Day Centre Purbeck Day Centre, Wareham Day Centre and Southill Day Centre.

Due to the bad weather, the Gyphon Leisure Centre in Sherborne was closed yesterday but hoped to open as usual today.

Thomas Hardye Leisure Centre, Dorchester was open yesterday but all the evening bookings on the outdoor astroturf pitch were cancelled due to ice.

Mobile library services were also cancelled across the county.

n ROADS in Dorset were closed as more snow and icy conditions made driving hazardous.

The A37 was shut between Dorchester and Yeovil after heavy ice left several vehicles unable to move on the route. The A350 was also closed near Shaftesbury in the north of the county because it was ‘impassable’.

All Saints Road at Wyke Regis, Weymouth, was closed after two crashes left the icy route blocked, police said.

Elsewhere in the town Lanehouse Rocks Road had to be re-gritted because it was ‘very slippery’ and a car skidded and crashed into a parked vehicle in Lomond Drive.

There were six articulated lorries stuck on the A356, at South Perrott near Beaminster, early this morning.

And the Dorset Police 4x4 vehicle had to ferry drivers who were stranded in their vehicles in the north of the county to safety.

Officers said temperatures ranging from minus six to minus 11 were recorded on Dorset’s roads overnight.

Major and minor routes – including the A35, A350, A352, B3081 and C13 – were all badly affected by snow and ice.

Police said there was an inch of snow on the A356 with thick ice lying underneath. Parts of Dorset were also hit by freezing fog and hailstones overnight.

Pupils at Wyke Regis Junior School in Weymouth enjoyed a snowball fight despite being in school.

Year 4 leader Robin Maslin decided to have a teacher-versus-student challenge, which was a little foolish since he was the only teacher on the playground.

The children had great fun pelting Mr Maslin with snow before lessons started and Mr Maslin was left a little damp but with a big smile on his face.