GRITTING is being carried out in Swindon this evening, but the council has warned some of the steepest hills in the town will have to be done by hand tomorrow morning.

A borough council spokesman said: "The vast majority of the borough’s hill routes will be completed this evening, however parts of Lawn and Old Town which are too steep for the gritting lorries, will be finished by hand first thing tomorrow morning.

"The forecast for the rest of the evening is for cold temperatures with further wet snow falling throughout the night with slight accumulations in places, but these flurries will become increasingly light and intermittent."

The gritting team would monitor the weather throughout the night and would be on standby to respond to any changes in the forecast.

He added: "Although it may appear the roads have not been gritted first thing in the morning, the salt will be on the roads and will need to be driven on to turn it into a saline solution. This will then encourage the thaw of any ice and snow. The main roads will start to clear once again when the network is busier."