Fen skaters on the ice in December 2010. Experts say it isn't thick enough to skate on yet and there are dangers lurking underneath. Picture: Matthew Usher

Temperatures dipped well below freezing in the low-lying Fens last night. But skaters are warning people not to take to the ice.

Despite the cold snap, the ice still isn’t thick enough to skate on, Fenland Ice Skating said today.

And while plunging temperatures will see washlands and rivers freezing, it’s warning high water levels underneath mean treacherous conditions.

Today, it said a member had tried walking on the ice but had fallen through after a few steps.

“If the frosty weather continues for a few days there may be a chance to skate,” updates on its website added.

“Danger on Welney Wash and other Fenland venues will be high due to deeper water than usual making it visually difidult to establish were shallow fields end, and rivers and ditches start.”

Experienced skaters say anyone thinking of trying the sport should watch where the locals skate and never take to the ice alone.

Elsewhere, temperatures remained below zero for most of the day in West Norfolk and the Fens. A few miles down the road, RAF Marham was reckoned to be one of the coldest places in the country, with mercury plunging to -13.1C overnight.

Drivers braved fog and icy patches to get to work. By late afternoon, temperatures hovered around zero. But as night fell, they soon began falling.