Asfordby school kids get to name council gritter

Judges felt that ‘Grittersaurus’ chosen by the Asfordby school’s class Rowan and youngsters from two other county schools was the pick of the bunch.

A total of 290 suggestions were sent in by primary school children who all wanted to name the council’s new gritter.

Lucky children from class Rowan, Ben Rutherford and Easton Szymanski were invited to the council’s highways depot in Mountsorrel to see the name brought to life on the vehicle.

The new name was displayed on the doors and above the windscreen of the gritter, and both pupils received a certificate and £50 book voucher for the school.

Councillor Blake Pain, cabinet member for highways, said: “We are delighted to confirm that our new gritter will be called Grittersaurus 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 during the winter months. Our drivers are on standby every night and spread salt whenever there is a likelihood of frost, ice or snow, so keep an eye out for Grittersaurus roaring into action.”

The council has 14,500 tonnes of grit stockpiled ready for use and whenever icy conditions are forecast, the gritters spread roughly 170 tonnes of the special salt and molasses mix each night, covering around 1,200 miles of highway.