Bookies have slashed the odds of a white Christmas in Oxfordshire after a flood of bets from punters.

William Hill cut the odds for a festive flurry in the county from 8/1 to 6 /1, after the first Snow fell on the British mainland this year.

Rupert Adams, media relations officer for William Hill, said: “We’ve taken money for all locations in the UK in the past few days.

“This includes hundreds of bets in Oxfordshire.”

The bookmaker’s definition of a White Christmas in Oxfordshire is one flake of snow falling on the meteor-ological station at Brize Norton during the 24 hours of Christmas Day. “Most people buy bets of £6 to £8, as a Christmas present” said Mr Adams.

William Hill is also offering odds of 12/1 on for no snow.

Meanwhile Bicester bookmaker Brian Goodyear is still offering 8/1 for Oxfordshire, by the same definition.

On December 20 last year children went sledging in Oxford’s South Park, while hundreds of Christmas deliveries for homes in Oxfordshire were cancelled or delayed following the heaviest December snowfall in years.

This year, the snow has already begun to arrive in the North of England.

The Met Office issued severe weather warnings on Monday for most of Scotland as well as Northern Ireland and parts of Northern England.

The forecast for Oxfordshire, according to the Met Office’s 16-30 day prediction is for “average temperatures”, which in Oxford means between 2.8 and 8C.

But this time last year the temperature was between -2.2 and 2.7C, following similar predictions.

The rainfall in Oxford last December (which includes snow), was estimated be 25.8 mm.

This year it is predicted to be over twice that level, at 64.7 mm but no snow is currently forecast.

Bookmakers define a White Christmas by whether snow falls at meteorological stations like Brize Norton, where snowfall is officially measured.

Mr Adams said: “We had an anomaly a few years ago where snow fell on Christmas Day just by the cooling towers at Didcot Power Station, and people tried to claim.”

Snow lying on the ground also does not count.

Aberdeen is currently the safest bet in the UK – William Hill is offering odds of 5 to 2 for a White Christmas there after it saw the first snow on the British mainland this year.