Revellers in Shropshire and across the UK are gearing up to give a warm welcome to 2010 even though sub-zero temperatures are expected tonight.

Hundreds of thousands of revellers are expected to brave the cold to hear Big Ben strike midnight in London and to join Hogmanay celebrations in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

While in Shropshire many residents will enjoy house parties, spend time with loved ones or visit pubs and clubs to welcome in the New Year.

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Anyone heading out to join parties in the county is being urged by police to make sure they have planned how to get home safely once the festivities end.

Health chiefs also encouraged people to wrap up warm as the cold snap continues and Shropshire A&E departments continue to see a rise in the number of people being seen.

John Warner, Shropshire Star weatherman, said overnight temperatures could plummet to as low as -5C (23F) in Shropshire with the chance of even colder weather in the days to come.

Three people died after being caught up in avalanches and three others were killed in a crash on a snowy stretch of motorway as the cold snap continued to grip Britain today.

The death last night of a climber who was rescued from a mountainside after an avalanche brought the number of lives claimed by the freezing weather to six in the last 24 hours.

Mr Warner said there could be some light snow showers across Shropshire in the first week of the New Year.

He said: “I think the main emphasis is on frost and quite severe frost as it could drop to as low as -7 (19F) in subsequent nights.”

London’s fireworks will be held at the London Eye and Mayor Boris Johnson said the spectacular display would show the world that “the most exciting city on Earth” is looking forward to the future with “optimism and energy”.

Chief Inspector Amanda Blakeman, of West Mercia Police warned revellers in Shropshire not to walk home alone or to use unlicensed taxi cabs.

As part of a safe and fun New Year’s Eve, we would always urge people to arrange how they are getting home before they go out, she said.

Stay with your friends and do not drink too much because you can become more vulnerable if your judgement is impaired by alcohol.”