GRITTERS – including Usain Salt, Thaw Enforcement and Sir David Attenburrrr – are ready to hit the roads of Wiltshire.

Wiltshire Council’s winter maintenance teams are gearing up for falling temperatures as the season starts to turn.

And they will be out and about on test runs in the coming weeks before minus temperatures set in, making sure equipment is working as it should.

Last winter, gritting crews were deployed 46 times and distributed 5,000 tonnes of salt, with 34,500 miles of Wiltshire’s roads treated. They are sent out when road temperatures dip to near freezing.

Cllr Nick Holder, cabinet member for highways and Street Scene, said: “We have a fleet of 24 gritters on standby, strategically placed in depots around Wiltshire – ready to take action.

“When the weather drops below zero, we focus on A and B roads as these are primary routes.

“However, we want to remind residents to not assume that a road has been gritted, and to always drive to the conditions as some roads are only treated during prolonged periods of cold weather.

“A commitment in our Business Plan is to have well-connected communities and preparing for the colder months is a part of this, as we want to keep everything running smoothly while prioritising safety.

“I’d like to thank our dedicated highways team who treat our roads in all-weather throughout the winter to keep our residents and road users safe.”

The council has 12,000 tonnes of salt in stock, placed throughout the county in six storage sites.

Weather stations across the county monitor the weather, providing real-time information to help engineers produce accurate forecasts, ensuring the gritters are sent out at the right times.

However, footways – including pavements, cycle routes and cycleways – are only treated in times of persistent ice or snow, with a focus on footways with high pedestrian usage, the council said.

More than 1,600 salt bins are placed around the county, for residents and the travelling public to use on public roads and footpaths.