Nottinghamshire County Council is prepared for the winter season ahead.

From Monday (1 November) gritting teams and their fleet of 30 gritters will go onto full-time standby across four depots, meaning they could be called out day or night.

Last winter, the council's gritting teams completed 109 gritting runs and spent over 390 hours on the road between October 2020 and March 2021.

Councillor Neil Clarke MBE, Chairman of the Transport and Environment Committee, said: "Each year we tell you that we are stocked and ready for whatever conditions winter may throw at us, and this year is no different.

"Of course, we cannot predict what kind of winter we will face, however, by ensuring preparations continue all year round, we are in a good position should adverse weather arrive in Nottinghamshire.

"This evening marks the start of our gritting teams full time standby duties, which for them, will often mean being out at night treating the 1,712km of road which make up our 23 gritting routes while we are at home with our families.

"Over the coming months you will likely see our teams in your area, and I ask that when you see them, you give a thought to the excellent work they do to protect us all from the winter conditions.

"I cannot mention our winter teams without recognising that it is not just our gritting teams who will be busy during the colder months.

"For our drainage teams, heavy rain, storms and flooding can lead to a spike in demand for their services, and when high winds lead to fallen trees, it is the forestry team who will be called out.

"As for our emergency response team, their 24/7, 365 days-a-year role can be easily impacted by adverse weather and could see them dealing with anything from managing road closures, to delivering sandbags and putting out flood boards.

"We really do have so many fantastic people protecting Nottinghamshire this winter, and I'd like to thank them in advance for all the work they'll be doing to keep things moving and to keep everyone safe."