These plants are prone to two things - Fireblight and Pyracanthus scab, neither of which look like "silver looking stuff". Any chance of a photograph?

We are just coming out of the cold spell, mine are just the same. It's been too cold -10, it will recover.

Thats good news Docbob....Mine is brown and limp at the tips, caused by the frost...When can i snip these off please?...:>)

They will lose a lot more of their leaves yet and you may need to cut hardback in March. Cutting back earlier will only produce soft growth which again will be frosted. With many shrubs it may be June before you get them to revive again.