As the weather starts to turn colder, Gloucestershire County Council is stepping up its winter preparations and launching gritter twitter.

The council’s ‘gritter twitter’ is now live and staff will be using @GlosHighways and @GlosCC to update the public on where and when we’re treating roads, weather updates and road conditions.

The council will be using gritter twitter around the clock to keep people up to date on what’s going on out on the roads.

Cllr Will Windsor Clive, cabinet member for communities, said: “When we have severe weather people want to be reassured that we are out treating the roads, where we have been and when.

“We also know that informed decisions by the public about whether to travel or how to plan their journey can be equally as important to keeping them safe on the roads and keeping the county moving.

“Using twitter is a simple, free way of getting these messages out there and more and more people are using twitter every day.

“Within seconds important information could be reaching people all across the county and while you can still visit our website or call us for information, Twitter is definitely the quickest way to keep up to date this winter.”

As well as launching gritter twitter, the council is increasing its salt stocks once again this year by opening two new salt domes – one in Cannop, and one in Stroudwater depots which will be operational for this winter.

This will boost salt levels from 9,600 last year to just over 11,000 tonnes this winter.

Over the past few winters, Gloucestershire, unlike some councils, did not run out of salt, but the council is keen to do all it can to be prepared.