'Gritters ready to go' - council prepares for winter

Chris Riley says the gritting team will be ready when it turns colder

The team in charge of gritting roads across Worcestershire say they will be ready if the county endures a cold snap this winter - with preparations already well advanced.

Worcestershire County Council will start its winter gritting season this week - with 36 lorries ready to head out and more than 50 drivers waiting to leap to action.

The so-called "winter warriors" expect to cover tens of thousands of miles and will remain on standby until mid-April, as and when temperatures fall below freezing.

Chris Riley, highways operations manager, said: "All the gritters are polished and ready to go, and so are our staff and our decision makers."

There are six depots across the county with thousands of tonnes of salt

He said the impact of climate change had been noticeable - not least in the variable nature of the temperatures.

"It can be challenging - sometimes the forecast can change in the early hours of the morning, for example, but we've got a dedicated team of people who are always ready to react," he said.

"We use special technology that allows us to track the temperature of the road surface, which can be different to the air temperature, telling us if the route needs to be treated.

"We are ready to go - we know we've got a vital service to deliver to people across Worcestershire."

Simon Allen, 58, is one of the drivers who is tasked with spreading the grit.

He works as a general handyman around the council's Newlands depot in Malvern during the day and fits in his gritting responsibilities around that.

"It's a bit scary at times, like when it snows - but after the years, you get used to it," he said.

"You could be fast asleep one minute, and the next you are on the road.

"But at other times, you get a call at midday, and you know you'll be out during the evening, so it really does vary in terms of what you get asked to do.

"At the end of the day, it's a public service."