Sugar coated grit tested on roads

A new type of grit is to be used on roads across Warwickshire this winter.

The county council said it is made of salt with a special coating of sugar beet molasses, which makes it easier to spread and is longer lasting.

But when it was trialled rural parts of Yorkshire sheep were found to be licking it from the roads.

The grit will be used over the next few months and roads that were previously inaccessible to gritting lorries will be covered this year.

We will be doing the best we can to keep Warwickshire's road network open Neil Clark, Warwickshire County Council

New routes will enable the lorries to reach weight-restricted bridges and urban areas where parking had restricted access.

The County Highways Department said nearly 50% of Warwickshire's roads are treated - one of the highest proportions in the Midlands region - by 27 gritting routes currently used by the council.

A single nights operation can cost almost £7,000.

County Highways operations manager, Neil Clark, said: "Although the past few winters have been wetter and milder we have had many more nights that required gritting because of the damp roads and frost.

"Predictions are being made again for a severe winter this year and we are prepared with a good team of experienced staff and drivers to deal with it.

"We will be doing the best we can to keep Warwickshire's road network open."