Christmas has come early for punters after one bookie today announced it was paying out early on a white Christmas.

The payout from Paddy Power came despite bookmakers’ rules traditionally stating that snow must actually fall on December 25 for bets to count.

A spokesman said: “With the whole country under the spell of the current big freeze Paddy Power has thrown away the rule book and paid out on what is as clear as the driven snow to everybody – there is snow on the ground.”

Paddy Power himself added: “The rules might state that snow must fall for a payout but how can anyone not call it a white Christmas when all the evidence we need is right in front of our very eyes?”