The UK has stockpiled road salt to prepare for a snowy winter, transport secretary Philip Hammond announced today.
Last year many councils ran out of the de-icing substance in less than a week, causing havoc across the country.
But it seems government ministers now have learnt their lesson after last year’s disaster.
Speaking on ITV’s Daybreak morning show transport secretary Philip Hammond said: “I think we’ll be able to cope. I am pretty confident we’ll be OK.”
“If local councils do have problems we can top them up,” he added.
Snowy and icy roads kill around 1, 0000 people every winter, and The AA (The Automobile Association) gets thousands of extra calls per snow-day compared to any normal weather day.
AA president Edmund King said: “We welcome the Government’s recommendation that local highway authorities should hold 12 days’ salt supply, as last winter many had only six day’s supply, which led to chaos on many local roads.”
The Met Office is warning of severe weather conditions over the next few days, predicting snow and icy roads.
