MAIN roads around Hertfordshire will remain gritted for at least the next week, the county council has said.

After temperatures in the county dropped to minus six over the bank holiday weekend, and with more ice and snow expected across the country, concerns are once again growing over the nation’s dwindling salt supplies, as they did back in February last year when adverse weather brought much of the UK to a standstill.

And, as was the case then, the Government is considering whether or not to take control of the country’s stock and hand out new deliveries of salt in proportion to an area’s need.

Hertfordshire county councillor Stuart Pile, executive member for highways and transport, said that gritting runs would therefore focus on primary routes such as A and B roads, bus routes, main access roads in and out of villages, industrial areas and shopping centres.

“We are aware that there are concerns nationally about salt supplies and it is not yet clear whether the Government might decide to take control of salt stocks, which could impact on the deliveries of salt that we are expecting,” cllr Pile said. “We will continue to monitor the national situation closely, but at present we are expecting further salt deliveries this week, including a guaranteed delivery today.

He added: “It is only to be expected that when there is a national salt shortage there will be certain ramifications for our service, but I can reassure residents that we have enough salt to keep the main roads that are used by a lot of people moving this week.”