Britain is braced for arctic weather before the New Year - but spring has sprung at one Sussex garden.

Much of the country awoke to frost today and the weather is expected to get even colder in the run-up to January.

But in a bizarre climactic twist, staff at Wakehurst Place, the Royal Botanic Gardens' country outpost at Ardingly, are already dealing with the first spring blooms.

The mild weather during the rest of December has meant daffodils and primroses are flowering at least two months before they should.

Horticulturalists are now being forced to protect the early blooms, however, amid fears the coming cold snap could wipe them out.

A spokesman said: "We can't say whether this is an example of global warming, but the seasons are very odd at the moment.

"This is the first time in 50 years anyone can remember the shoots appearing this soon before spring."