Winning names for Leicestershire council gritters revealed

Winners of the Leicestershire County Councils Name the Gritter competition PHOTO: Supplied

More than 160 entries were received for the county council’s gritter naming competition staged at the end of November when primary school children were asked to help come up with names for its machinery, looking for creative and witty suggestions.

The authority has now whittled them down to the best three. The winners are:

King Gritchard III

Gritternator

Sparkle

Councillor Blake Pain, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “We are delighted to confirm that our three new gritters will be called King Gritchard III, Gritternator and Sparkle and I want to thank all the pupils who took the time to send in their imaginative suggestions.

“Gritters are a vital part of keeping the county’s roads safe. Our drivers will be on standby to spread salt whenever there is a likelihood of frost, ice or snow, so keep an eye out for them roaring into action.”

A pupil from Birch Wood (Melton Area Special School) who chose one of the winning names was invited to the council’s highways depot in Mountsorrel with other schoolchildren to see the names brought to life on the vehicles.

Each winner received a certificate, a book voucher, and a chance to sit in the new gritters. The schools also received a book voucher.