I WOULD like to, through your paper, congratulate Worcestershire County Council on its prompt actions regarding the freak weather conditions that struck the area on Monday, November 28 for approximately five hours.

It was only the ' quick response' of their gritting department that stopped me spending in excess of two and a quarter hours making the 1.9 mile journey from Sanders Park, Bromsgrove, to the site of what used to be the Crossroads garage. It was also its quick response that stopped myself, and a number of other motorists from experiencing the 'Death Slide from Hell' down the A449.

Your paper recently ran an article commenting on the vast amount of gritting material the council had stockpiled, for such an incident as this, and I can only thank it for doing this. The astonishing amount of gritting trucks on the road put not only my heart at rest, but the hearts of a number of motorists, who would have been forced to make such a treacherous journey in such harsh weather conditions.

It's good to see that the council tax is being spent wisely.

Also I would like to thank the council for the gritting of the car parks the following morning. This stopped me again having to risk life and limb in my efforts to pay £1.50 for the privilege of leaving my car in a safe environment. It's good to see my money has been well spent.

Tony Ruddy

Kidderminster