Gritting record as winter drags into spring

Councils in the Anglia region have broken records for the number of gritting runs Credit: Peter Byrne/PA Archive/Press Association Images

The region's councils are counting the cost of this year's extending winter with a record number of gritting runs in most areas.

Cambridgeshire County Council says it has carried out more than 100 runs for the first time in a single winter season and more are expected as the cold weather continues.

The council has a fleet of 39 specialist gritters with four new ones this year. The county has 10,000 of salt stockpiled.

  • NORFOLK has broken its record with more than 150 gritting runs. The previous record was 130.

  • CAMBRIDGESHIRE has had 100 gritting runs which is also a record there. It cost £20,000 each time.

  • NORTHAMPTONSHIRE has carried out 131 gritting runs. The highest ever was 91 and the average is 60.

  • HERTFORDSHIRE has broken its record with 77 runs this year compared to the previous high of 68.

  • CENTRAL BEDFORDSHIRE has been out 62 times but went out 81 times in the winter of 2009/10.

  • SUFFOLK usually does 65-70 runs a season but has so far done 126 gritting runs this year. The county has used 30,000 tonnes of salt which is twice the usual amount

  • ESSEX gritters have covered 26,000 miles spreading an estimated 30,000 tonnes of salt. The operation costs and estimated £3.4 million.