Gritting lorry comes off road in icy conditions in Derbyshire

A gritting lorry had to be rescued after it came off the road in wintry conditions in Derbyshire.

The vehicle was treating the roads near Owler Bar, west of Dronfield, when it slid into the roadside ditch. A recovery truck was sent to pull it back onto the road.

Derbyshire County Council said no-one was injured in the incident.

Cllr Charlotte Cupit, cabinet member for highways, said: "While we assess any damage, one of our spare gritters is now taking over so there is no impact on the work we’re doing to try and keep our roads clear.

“Accidents involving our gritter lorries are thankfully rare, but this shows that it can be a dangerous job.

"Our crews go out in challenging weathers and conditions to do everything they can to keep the travelling public safe and we appreciate the difficult job that they do night and day.

"Thank you to all our highways teams who’ve been working round the clock to grit and clear the roads through the current poor weather, of snow, ice and flooding, which we’ve seen since the start of the year.”

The incident came as the region faced travel disruption following heavy snow over the weekend.

Flights at Leeds Bradford Airport were delayed after the runway was closed on Sunday and multiple roads were closed.

A group of young people were seen helping to push a bus that was stuck in the snow on Queen Street in Morley, Leeds.

The weather is expected to be bitterly cold with wintry showers in the coming days.

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