WHAT'S the point of a grit bin, if there’s no grit in it?

That’s the question that has sent Worcester resident Ian Parker to a variety of councillors and council officers without much success.

Although it looks like a solution has been found.

Mr Parker lives in St Audrie’s Road, a small cul-de-sac in Battenhall, which used to have a yellow county council grit bins many years ago, but that was taken away.

When he asked for it to be restored, he was told that wouldn’t happen.

Mr Parker said: “I spoke to Councillor Marc Bayliss, who said he could provide a bin from one of his funds. There was a question about who had to pay for the grit, but it turned up and was filled.

“It wasn’t needed for a few years and people asked me what the point of having one was. But last year in the snowy weather we used it and kept the street clear.

“But now we need the bin filled up again.”

Mr Parker rang Worcestershire County Council but was told because his bin was green, and not yellow, it was not one of County Hall’s bins, and wasn’t even on the list.

He said: “I spoke to Councillor Louis Stephen who rang around but didn’t get much of an answer. Then I spoke to Councillor Steve Mackay.”

It seems that Cllr Mackay, who is both city and county councillor for the area and is Worcester mayor, managed to get to the bottom of the issue. For now.

He said: “I think the city council is going to be taking on responsibility for these bins.

“It probably helped that I have a foot in both camps of the city and county council. I am glad to have been able to help in this case.”

A spokesman for Worcester City Council confirmed that the authority was going to refill the bin this week.

It is understood that discussions between Worcestershire County Council and Worcester City Council regarding responsibility for refilling grit bins in general are ongoing.