Questions over council gritters

LONDON councils were facing questions today over whether they had prepared for the snow on the roads.

Transport for London said crews had worked through the night to grit and snow-plough the capital's key trunk routes - but traffic on local roads ground to a halt as councils appeared to be overwhelmed.

A spokesman for Transport for London said all 360 miles of roads it is responsible for were clear.

But roads supposed to be kept clear by councils were not safe and it had to order the suspension of the entire bus service. Two councils were able to detail their actions today.

Harrow Council said they had six gritting lorries with staff working round the clock. A spokesman said: "We have extra staff and are doing all we can." Westminster Council, which is responsible for much of central London, said 120 council staff had been at work since 10am yesterday using 300 tonnes of salt.

A spokeswoman said eight vehicles were focusing on crossing points, subways and bridges. "Our entire fleet has been working through the night and they will continue to do so as long is necessary," she said.

The following councils said they could not provide the number of gritters deployed: Barking and Dagenham Bexley, Camden, Croydon, Hackney, Greenwich, Kensington and Chelsea and Southwark. Wandsworth, Sutton and Hammersmith and Fulham councils were unavailable for comment.

The motoring organisation GEM Assist said most drivers were unprepared for the bad weather despite advance warnings.