AuntyFreeze and friends are ready

With the winter weather creeping closer, Kent’s 64 gritters are ready for action – and they all have very cool names.

Grittzee, Snow Farah and Bobby Snow will be hitting roads in Ashford and Shepway and are just three of the fun names chosen by residents.

MrCool, AuntyFreeze and the rest of the trucks are all on standby, ready to combat the winter weather.

The gritter trucks focus on 53 primary salting routes, which cover 1,300 miles – but their overall Kent mileage reaches 2,500 miles.

Kent County Council staff are keeping an eye on 13 weather stations around the county to determine when IceKrispie and the crew need to hit the road.

Across Kent, there are more than 2,000 salt bins in parishes. These are backed up by around 117 farmers who can help plough 208 rural routes during bad snow.

Despite a fairly warm winter last year, SirGritalot and the team covered around 70,000 miles across Kent, which is equivalent to about 80 trips between Land’s End and John O’Groats.

Matthew Balfour, KCC cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “Freezing conditions can strike early and we’re fully prepared for this.

“A winter service runs between now and March and we’re stocked up with 20,000 tonnes of salt, held in a network of depots across the county.

“Whilst we’re confident we’re prepared, I’d urge everyone to make sure they’re ready for the winter months by checking over their cars, particularly brakes, topping up anti-freeze and ensuring their tyres are in the best condition for maximum safety.

“As ever, check the weather before travelling and make use of our salt bins to improve grip on roads and pavements.”

KCC is holding a competition for children to come up with a name for two of KCC’s mini gritters, which serve narrow roads.

To take part follow KCC on Twitter @Kent_CC or follow their Facebook page www.facebook.com/ KentCountyCouncil.

KCC gritters ready for winter

It may seem a long way off, but it pays to be prepared