GRITTERS are being sent out across Oxfordshire daily to help melt the ice on roads as the weather gets colder.

Oxfordshire County Council, the highways authority, said is fully stocked on salt and there has been no national supply issues with salt for many years.

Salt is usually used between November 1 and March 31 but the season can be extended if the weather conditions require it.

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The authority covers 43 per cent of the network including all A-roads, B-roads and some C-roads whereas National Highways cover the M40, A43 and A34.

Decisions on whether or not to send gritters out are taken on daily basis through late autumn, winter and early spring.

The decisions are posted on the county council website daily as well as through Twitter.

The gritters have been out for the last three nights, they’ll be out again tonight (December 8).

The authority revealed that the distance covered on one gritting run throughout Oxfordshire is 1,200 miles which is the equivalent of the distance from London to Iceland.

When there is snowfall to sufficient depth the gritters can be fitted with snowploughs to clear snow.

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The council has a full complement of more than 50 drivers, including back-up crews and on one run the gritters cover 26 routes – each taking about three hours.

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Read more from this author

This story was written by Gee Harland. She joined the team in 2022 as a senior multimedia reporter.

Gee covers Wallingford, Wantage and Didcot.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Gee.harland@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @Geeharland

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