The big freeze finally loosened its grip on Norfolk yesterday but forecasters have warned even though the snow has eased off for now, roads will remain icy.

Norfolk woke up to very little fresh snow yesterday morning as the county was spared the heavy showers which hit other parts of the country.

Parts of Essex and Lincolnshire were badly hit, but Norfolk escaped relatively unscathed and forecasters said the worst of the snowfall was over for now.

Just two schools were closed. Blenheim Park Community Primary School in Fakenham was shut because a boiler fault meant it had no heating, while Walpole Cross Keys Primary School was shut.

In Norwich, Lakenham Primary School had a delayed opening at 10am.

More than 530 tonnes of salt had been scattered on the county's roads on Monday with forecasters predicting another blast of wintry weather.

There were a few crashes on the county's roads, at the A140 at Scole and on the A47 at Bawburgh, causing some disruption.

There were also delays at Norwich airport and flights to Edinburgh were cancelled, but bus services were running normally and trains were not affected by snow.

Joe Osborne, from University of East Anglia-based Weatherquest, said: 'We are not expecting too much more snow in the next few days. It looks fairly good on that score.

'We had a few snow showers in Norfolk yesterday, including at Hunstanton, but generally we have only had the occasional light shower.

'That will be the case today too, but on Thursday it could be a bit more interesting, because there could be a band of showers down towards Essex which might head our way.

'But in the main, I think we are talking about isolated falls and not significant accumulation, although there might be some late on Saturday if a front comes through. That could give us a couple of centimetres.

'It is still going to be very cold and the wind will make it feel even colder. The sea temperatures are likely to be -5 degrees centigrade and that will mean we have very sharp frosts and ice, so the roads could be dangerous.'

With roads and paths icy, council bosses have warned people that raiding grit bins to spread salt and sand on private property could lead to prosecution for theft.

Salt and sand provided in 800 grit bins around Norfolk is for use on roads and public pavements, not for private use, Norfolk County Council stressed on Tuesday.

Most grit bins are provided by town and parish councils and stocked with salt or salt and sand by the county council.

Council bosses said they were usually positioned close to local trouble-spots, particularly slopes or shady corners, and that was primarily where the grit should be used.

They said it should only be used sparingly on other nearby parts of the highway in response to particular problems.

A spokesman said: 'Although available to the public, the salt and sand is only for use on the public highway close to the grit bin.

'It should never be taken from these bins for use on private drives or paths. Anyone doing so, even in the mistaken belief that it can be taken for any purpose, risks being accused of theft.'

The snow and ice disrupted the bin collection schedule in the Fakenham, Snoring and Ryburgh areas. Last night, a North Norfolk District Council spokesman said any householders whose bins had not yet been collected should leave them out, and they would be collected as soon as possible.

It was a similar situation in Norwich. with some bin collections disrupted.

A City Hall spokesman said: 'We are advising people who have a scheduled collection to leave their bins out, and if your bins were missed please leave them out and we will collect them as soon as we can. As always, please make sure they are not blocking the pavement.

'Thank you for your patience. We are working closely with our contractors to catch up as soon as possible.'

• Visit www.edp24.co.uk for the latest news on the wintry weather, including details of school closures and travel updates.