Discover the names of Lancashire's new gritters

Ten fresh recruits have joined the ice-fighting fleet for the coming winter, and the county council asked residents to give them some personality with its Name-a-Gritter competition.

The winners, chosen by cabinet member for highways and transport County Councillor Warren Goldsworthy and Matt Townsend, director of highways and transport, are Ctrl-Salt-Delete, Gritty Gritty Bang Bang, Gritzilla, I Skid You Not, Professor Dumblethaw, Ready Salted, SnOasis, Taylor Drift, The Greatest Snowman, and Walter the Salter.

They will join the county’s now 45-strong frontline fleet, which is capable of treating 1,700 miles of priority routes — the most vital for keeping Lancashire moving — within four hours whenever a freeze is forecast.

County Councillor Goldsworthy said: "Once again people in Lancashire have shown their boundless creativity and come up with some brilliant names for our new gritters.

"We had a great response to the competition – thanks to everyone who took the time to submit a suggestion. I look forward to seeing these new personalities helping to keep our roads safe as the weather turns colder.

"The gritters are among our hardest-working vehicles – investing in their upkeep, and replacing them when we need to, is vital to make sure we can reliably deliver this vital service."

Lancashire's gritters feature the latest technology which automatically controls where and how much grit is spread, ensuring salt is used efficiently and routes are treated consistently.

This week also marks the launch of the county council's Winter Campaign which brings together everything residents need to keep warm, safe and well this winter, as well as stay active and make the most of new opportunities.

Matt Townsend added: "Our highways team is as well prepared as they can be for the winter but there are limits to our resources. I'd ask everyone to please think about what you need to do to make sure you're also able to cope if we get a prolonged spell of severe weather.

"It may be simply checking you've got some basics such as an ice scraper, sunglasses and warm clothing in your car, or buying grit for the paths around your property.

"Go to lancashire.gov.uk/winter for travel advice, more information about gritting and lots of support and advice on the services available to you and your family."