YOU might have been forgiven for thinking the weather forecasters had got it wrong if you were down at Bournemouth seafront yesterday.

This year's early Easter has seen forecasts of icy temperatures and even a 40 per cent chance of snow.

However, despite the clear blue skies and sunshine on the Friday, many people played it safe and stayed indoors.

Lee and Jackie Verrall, down from Gillingham in Kent with their two children, joked that they were not put off by the weather reports because that's "part of being British". Lee, 40, added: "We would have come anyway because we've come to see my in-laws and we like the resort."

On the Friday the only sign of the predicted icy spell was the strong winds which lowered temperatures.

Rob Hutchinson, forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said temperatures could drop enough to bring hail, sleet and snow.

He warned motorists to beware of icy stretches on untreated roads.

On Easter Sunday temperatures are set to drop even lower with a band of snow and sleet set to move down from the north, he said.

The Poole Welcome Centre on the Quay said they had received noticeably fewer enquiries in the lead-up to Easter and were pinning their hopes on an improvement in the weather.

Sandra Palmer, of the popular Farmer Palmer's attraction in Organford, said: "It looks like it might not be such a good weekend for the tourist attractions."