Councils order extra grit to deal with winter freeze

?Thousands of tons of extra grit are being delivered to councils in the Black Country and Staffordshire, as preparations for winter get under way.

Councils in the region have ordered extra supplies following last year's winter, which saw authorities throughout the country run low.

Bosses today said they would soon begin monitoring temperatures and sending their vehicles out on test runs. Last winter was the coldest in 30 years, and gritting operations in some areas was restricted to major roads.

Councils were ordered to increase their salt stockpiles as a result.

In Wolverhampton, bosses have ordered an additional 1,000 tons of grit.

Ian Law, Wolverhampton City Council's highway operational services manager, said: "Gritting crews will go on standby from around November.

"The crews can also be called on if we experience problems in October."

Dudley has ordered more than 6,500 tons this year compared with 4, 500 tons for the same period last year. Officials there say they are also monitoring road temperatures.

In Sandwell the council has taken deliverey of 6,300 tons of rock salt since July and trial runs of designated gritting routes will start next month.

Staffordshire County Council has more than doubled its grit stocks from 13,000 to 30,000 tons, while Walsall has ordered 4,000 tons of grit - an increase of 500 tons.

Walsall Council had to lend Birmingham City Council 400 tons of grit last year to help it cope after supplies ran low.