Peterborough United's away match against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday 9th January has been called off on the grounds of public safety.

While the pitch at Hillsborough would be playable due to the utilisation of undersoil heating, areas immediately surrounding the stadium have been covered in a thick blanket of snow, making roads and pavements in the vicinity treacherous.

South Yorkshire Police contacted the club on Wednesday morning to discuss concerns over public safety and these have been echoed by the local Safety Advisory Group. Sheffield Wednesday has informed the Football League and Peterborough United of the concerns regarding the conditions in surrounding areas and has also taken into consideration the weather forecast from the Met Office.

With temperatures set to remain at freezing point between now and matchday, with no chance of a thaw to side streets, car parks and pedestrian areas close to the ground, both clubs feel that it would put supporters attending the match in danger to go ahead with this fixture on Saturday.

Sheffield Wednesday chief executive, Nick Parker, said: 'While we are still two days away from the fixture against Peterborough, the areas surrounding Hillsborough Stadium are covered in snow and ice. It is highly unlikely these areas could be cleared to the extent that would allow fans to come to the game and be guaranteed of their safety.

'Obviously the safety of our supporters is the club's main concern in these circumstances and we would not want to put fans in danger by encouraging them to use icy roads and pavements around Hillsborough. We have informed South Yorkshire Police, the Football League and Peterborough United that we will not be staging this game and we felt it was important to give supporters as much notice as possible that the game will not go ahead on Saturday.'