RUBBISH went uncollected, mail undelivered, buses were cancelled and libraries closed as West Somerset struggled under an unseasonably early blanket of snow.

Several feet fell on higher ground across the moors, while even coastal towns and villages found themselves with several inches both on Friday and again on Monday morning.

Both the A39 and A358 were partially blocked during the worst of Monday's snowfall.

And Arctic temperatures meant there was little respite once it had stopped as untreated roads and pavements became a sheet of ice.

Somerset County Council said around 47 per cent of A roads had been gritted and 53 per cent of roads linking to "major settlements" had also been treated.

Geoff Dight, the council's highways manager, said: "Twenty-three gritters have been working constantly to pre-treat the network, which consists of 870 miles of key roads.

"The team has been working really hard to try and keep the roads as safe as possible.

"We ask motorists to take care if they are travelling this weekend and prepare their vehicle for winter. They should also allow extra time for your journey and be careful on minor roads which are not treated."

Police warned people to stay at home and only to make journeys that were absolutely necessary, while neighbours were urged to keep an eye on elderly friends and relatives.

Chief Inspector Polly King of the road policing unit said: "The weather is making driving more hazardous at the moment and people should be very careful if they are setting out on the roads.

"Anyone venturing out should stick to major routes if possible and be wary of sat-navs suggesting routes which may include rural, untreated roads."

South Western Ambulance Service said it had seen a 30 per cent increase in the number of calls during the cold snap, with its control rooms handling more than 1,500 calls every 24 hours.

Bosses appealed for people only to call 999 for life-threatening emergencies and said staff were facing some of the most treacherous driving conditions they had ever experienced.

Chief executive Ken Wenman said: "Obviously the service is well prepared for dealing with situations like this and there are existing plans in place to deal with the challenging circumstances which occur as a result of the bad weather we have been experiencing.

"It does mean, however, that our personnel have to often go that extra mile in order to continue providing what to many of our callers is quite literally a lifeline."

Community hospitals in Minehead and Williton remained open throughout the chill, although some outpatient clinics were cancelled.

District nurses were helped to keep home visits by volunteer 4x4 drivers, while community health workers went the extra mile to make sure the elderly and vulnerable received the support they needed.

Somerset County Council said it was vital everyone was "a good neighbour" while the freeze continued.

Miriam Maddison, the council's community director, said: "Neighbours and families can help by checking that vulnerable people are warm with plenty of food supplies to see them through until weather conditions improve."

The snow meant all refuse and recycling collections were cancelled across Somerset on Monday, while recycling centres in Minehead, Williton and Dulverton were shut.

Dulverton and Williton reopened on Tuesday, although Minehead remained closed until Wednesday.

The Somerset Waste Partnership, which oversees kerbside collections and recycling centres across the county, said the service had suffered significant disruption due to the weather.

Catch-up collections were being made where possible for recycling and household waste, but not garden waste, with the aim to return to pick-up missed collections within two or five days.

But a spokesman said the situation was likely to be "complicated" with the Christmas and New Year bank holidays.

All collections from December 27 to January 7 are already scheduled to take place a day later than usual, with the exceptions of Friday, December 31, when a collection will be made on Sunday, January 2 instead.

Normal collections are due to resume on Monday, January 10.

A county council spokesman said it was possible some homes would not have a scheduled waste collection until January 5.

"The waste partnership is using all available resources to try and maintain collection services and to catch up in areas that were missed.

"However, it is possible that the scale of the disruption might mean they will be unable to return to all properties within the periods prescribed in their guidelines and those properties receiving fortnightly [household waste] services missed at the beginning of the week will not be collected until their next scheduled collection on Wednesday, January 5."

Uncollected recycling and waste can be taken to local recycling centres for disposal.

Even Somerset County Council's all important full council meeting - where controversial budget cuts were due to be discussed - fell victim to the adverse weather conditions.

The meeting was due to take place in Taunton on Wednesday, but will now be rescheduled in the New Year.