Saturday, December 02, 2006

Britain's too warm for ice rink

The opening of an outdoor ice rink has been delayed because it has melted during the warmest autumn on record.

The skating rink at Warwick Castle was expected to open on Saturday but there have been problems freezing the water.

Now bosses have shipped in 15 tons of ice from Grimsby in an attempt to get the rink cold enough.

It comes after the Met Office said an average temperature of 12.6C had made this the warmest autumn in central England since records began in 1659.

Jo Biggs, from Warwick Castle, said: "Due to the unusually mild weather getting the rink frozen is proving very challenging, however, we're doing everything we can to get it ready."

She said alternative time slots would be offered to people who had already booked tickets for the rink.

The ice delivered from Humberside has solidified but more layers of water are being frozen to obtain a safe thickness of ice.

Ms Biggs said guests should check the castle's website to check for updates on the rink.

An ice slide at the castle has been unaffected as it is in a sheltered area and has opened on time.

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