Britain’s roads could be left icy this winter as councils face a shortage of gritter drivers.

Some local authorities are already struggling to find enough HGV drivers to grit and salt roads.

Cllr David Renard, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association (LGA), said:

“While most councils have been able to keep services running, some may find that their gritting services are affected in the same way that some have seen waste collection services impacted.

“As they do every year, councils will be working proactively to plan ahead and ensure that their winter services are as resilient as they can be.”

“Councils are keen to work with Government and partners to support more training for these demand sectors, however this is a lengthy process and does not alleviate the short term pressures on frontline services.”