Wiltshire Council has announced its gritter fleet will take action over the coming months to keep the county roads safe.

According to the council, last year, their crews were deployed 81 times and distributed 7,836 tonnes of salt across 59,130 miles of roads.

However, it warns that roads are treated in order of priority and people should not assume that a road has been gritted, as many minor roads will receive no treatment.

Salting takes place when road temperatures approach freezing, after the evening peak of traffic and or before the rush hour.

The council focuses on A and B roads requiring up to 140 tonnes of salt and only treats the more minor roads with up to 230 tonnes of salt during prolonged periods of cold weather.

A single precautionary treatment costs on average £21,000.

Councillor Caroline Thomas, cabinet member for transport and Street Scene, said: “Our dedicated winter maintenance teams brave all weathers to help keep residents and road users safe, and our fleet of 24 gritters is on standby and strategically placed in depots around Wiltshire.

“As part of our business plan commitment to provide well-connected communities, carrying out test runs and ensuring we are ready for winter is vitally important to ensure that everything will run smoothly whenever the cold weather arrives."