IT might feel bitterly cold but north-east Essex residents can boast they are enjoying Britain’s sunniest skies this month.

The first ten days of December have been unseasonably bright, seeing an average of almost five hours of sunshine a day.

Gazette weatherman Terry Mayes said: “You’d expect the figure to be much lower at this time of year.

“To have 48 hours of sunshine in the first ten days of December is very unusual.”

The last time north Essex experienced mild winter weather like this was in 2005 when temperatures hit highs of up to 16C.