Gritters to hit the roads as Melton begins to freeze

Leicestershire County Council operates 23 dedicated gritters covering 17 routes across the county and they will be spreading roughly 170 tonnes of rock salt across key routes.

Councillor Blake Pain, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “As the months get colder we’re keen to minimise any potential disruption.

“We monitor the weather constantly and if freezing temperatures are forecast, our fleet of gritters will be ready to treat major roads and key routes, which equate to almost half of the county’s road network.”

Last winter, the council’s gritters went out on 109 occasions to keep the roads clear, spreading more than 20,000 tonnes of grit during wintry conditions.

This year, the council’s grit barns are stocked up with 18,500 tonnes of rock salt – ready to tackle snow and ice - while three new state-of-the-art gritters will be joining the fleet this winter.

Melton residents are being encouraged to prepare themselves for the cold season by following a few simple steps:

**Familiarise yourself with the gritting routes by visiting www.leicestershire.gov.uk/gritting and keep up to date with local weather using the local radio or following the council on Twitter;

**Make sure you have your seasonal flu vaccination. Washing your hands will help avoid transmitting cold and flu viruses. Free vaccines are offered to people considered to be at risk of flu, more information can be found by visiting www.nhs.uk/staywell/

**Keep your home warm. Set the timer on your heating to come on before you get up and switch off when you go to bed. The county council’s Warm Homes service helps vulnerable people to save hundreds of pounds on their fuel bills, for advice visit www.firstcontactplus.org.uk or call 0116 305 4286.