The county council is gearing up to keep the Lincolnshire moving when the winter weather comes.

From today (1 October) Lincolnshire County Council starts monitoring the weather 24/7, and its fleet of 43 gritters will be ready to go when road surface temperatures drop to around 0.5°C.

Its gritting routes cover nearly 2,000 miles of highway, including all A and B roads, at least one road into all our main towns and villages, and routes around our bus and train stations, hospitals and schools.

The council also provides grit bins for residents to use on public paths and roads.

Karen Cassar, assistant director for highways at Lincolnshire County Council, said: "We all know how changeable the great British weather can be. So whilst it's still relatively warm at the end of September, we're ready from October right through to April to go out at a moment's notice.

"We've got around 29,000 tonnes of salt in our stores, which should see the county through even a harsh winter.

"When the wintry weather does come, please remember that it's not magic dust we're spreading, and grit takes time to work on the roads. Always take your time and drive to the conditions.

"In the next few days we'll be doing our dry runs to test the routes and the vehicles, so you may well see the gritters out and about near you."

For further information about gritting, including a map of treated routes and winter driving advice, visit www.lincolnshire.gov.uk.

If you'd like to join the team helping to keep Lincolnshire moving through the winter, you can find out more information about current vacancies on the Balfour Beatty website.