THE county’s 29 gritters have been out on the streets in a first practise run for the icy weather to come after last winter’s four snow incidents.

Just over 11,000 tonnes of salt has been stockpiled, including at a covered salt dome in Cannop, and Gloucestershire’s 4,826 grit bins will be refilled by the end of the month.

Bagged salt is also being delivered to parishes to replenish community stock.

As part of the gritter test runs, teams have been inspecting the winter maintenance equipment like snow ploughs and in-cab mobile phones, and have been briefed on this year’s winter response plan which covers key contacts, procedures, roles and responsibilities.

Last year, the county council’s gritting teams completed over 90 gritting runs dealing with the four incidents of snowfall, including the “Beast from the East”.

Cllr Vernon Smith, cabinet member for highways said “We’re preparing our highways teams for when the cold weather really hits.

“When our gritters head out for real they will be spreading salt over 1,000 miles of the county’s roads.

“Our road crews are the first line of defence in winter weather; they put in a tremendous effort - battling against the elements around the clock to keep the county moving.”