ESSEX County Council s fleet of 65 winter gritters will be on standby to treat the county s full precautionary network this evening (January 12), so that all major routes are kept clear. The Government is now controlling the national distribution of salt,

ESSEX County Council's fleet of 65 winter gritters will be on standby to treat the county's full precautionary network this evening (January 12), so that all major routes are kept clear.

The Government is now controlling the national distribution of salt, and the county council has been taking steps to ensure that supplies are managed carefully.

Cabinet member for highways and transportation, Cllr Norman Hume, said: "We are seeing an improvement in the weather this week, but while icy conditions remain we will continue to do everything we can to keep Essex moving.

"We started this winter from our strongest ever position in terms of readiness for these severe conditions with the highest ever levels of winter salt in stock.Our gritters and crews have been out night and day for four weeks treating 1800 miles of Essex's primary network plus hundreds more miles of high-footfall areas.

"We have been receiving fresh supplies of salt and will continue to take operational decisions to maximise the benefits of winter gritting on our roads and footpaths for our residents. I would like to ask residents to continue to travel with extreme caution at this time."

The county council is constantly monitoring weather forecasts and supplies of salt, with further operational decisions being taken on a daily basis.