TRADERS around Malvern pulled together to make the best of things, despite taking a hit to trade after the heaviest snowfall for over 30 years.

Schools in and around the town were forced to shut their doors after the fall on Sunday, which left many roads almost impassable. Most of them had reopened by Wednesday.

Rail services were also hit, with trains on the line through Malvern being suspended early on Sunday afternoon, with cancellations and delays over the next two days.

But Worcestershire County Council's gritters and snowploughs were out in force during the bad weather, doing their best to keep main roads open.

The highways agency also kept roadside grit bins filled, but there was a report of people taking advantage.

Police superintendent Kevin Purcell tweeted: "We are aware of 'gang' going around emptying grit bins soon after they are filled up. It’s a crime of theft, unmarked patrols on the case."

Malvern weather watcher Frank Hill said that 17cm of snow had fallen by Sunday evening and the lowest temperature he recorded was -6C on Tuesday morning.

He said: "That's the deepest snow we've had since 1985. We've had 12 to 15cm a couple of times since then, most recently in December 2010."

Great Malvern Priory had to bar its churchyard to public access after the snow brought down several large boughs from ancient trees.

Tree branches were also brought down in Station Gardens, outside Great Malvern railway station.

Malvern Hills Trust - formerly the Conservators - was forced to close all its car parks on the hills after the blizzard, which left 12 inches of snow on the British Camp car park, although several were reopened by Wednesday.

Bin collections were also hit, but Malvern Hills District Council said it would make every attempt to catch up with the backlog.

Anna Brook co-owner of Iapetus on Belle Vue Terrace and one of the founders of the Great Malvern Association of Traders, said: "Given that it had to happen, it was probably best that it happened on Sunday. Trade on Monday was very tough, Tuesday better and Wednesday OK. But we kept going by dealing with online trade."

She said that traders along Belle Vue Terrace got together to clear pavements and parking spaces outside their businesses.

"There was quite a bit of community spirit. When something like this happens, you have to help each other out," she said.

Much of the remaining snowfall had melted by Thursday, and the Met Office is predicting that Saturday will be rather cloudy with patchy rain. Sunday is likely to be warmer, but with some wet and breezy weather arriving.