GRITTING teams are on standby in Worcestershire - with 17,000 tonnes of salt at the ready for a cold winter.

Worcestershire County Council says it is expecting an "unusually harsh winter" and is taking no risks in the event of months of bitter cold.

As well as the now-fairly traditional stock of 17,000 tonnes of grit, a 5,000 tonne "strategic reserve" has been purchased and kept in storage.

The extra protection comes after several fairly mild winters, with some forecasters in recent weeks warning that Britain is now overdue a below-average winter.

Ongoing checks are also being carried out on the county's 1,233 grit bins to make sure they are all full before November ticks around.

Some 36 gritting vehicles are all ready to cover 1,500 miles of designated roads from now until the spring.

Last winter they clocked up more than 50,000 miles across the county, the equivalent of travelling more than twice around the world.

Cllr Marcus Hart, the cabinet member for highways, said: "The weather has turned cold very suddenly this year, but our gritting teams are once again ready for the challenge of another winter.

"We are all grateful for the incredible work of our highways crews, who are out in freezing conditions when the majority of people are asleep.

"Despite the fantastic efforts of our teams gritting does not tackle all the risks that cold weather brings.

"Motorists should take extra care in cold and icy conditions, and, even if a road has been treated, should not assume it is safe to travel at normal speeds."

Two years ago Worcestershire was one of the first shires in the country to take advantage of pioneering 'brine technology', which helps salt work more quickly.

It severely cuts the potential for waste as it helps more grit stay on the roads rather than bouncing off it, with County Hall saying the method will be used again this year.

In recent weeks the Conservative leadership has been urged by Labour to do more gritting on routes near schools.

Gritting operations, including interactive maps showing designated routes and details on grit bin locations, can be found at HERE.