It is not only snowdrops that are appearing on our verges this spring. A large number of green bins containing grit have appeared, at least six near us.

I am not clear who is supposed to spread the grit. I would not fancy getting out of the car on a dark winter’s night to do the job, even presuming I had a shovel in the car. The risk of being cannoned into by a sliding car would be a deterrent even if I was not put off by being unable to continue up the hill once I had stopped.

I am sure someone has made a lot of money out of providing these. There do seem to be a superfluous number of them around the roads.

I cannot help but feel the ratepayers’ money would have been better spent on filling in the potholes or providing the missing public footpath signs which the council is supposed to erect under the Countryside Act 1968, section 27.

If the public is expected to do the job that gritting lorries should perform I suggest the confidence in the local residents is somewhat misplaced. All they seem capable of doing is chucking bottles, beer cans and empty pill wrappers out of car windows as they career around the countryside.

I regularly pick up a full black bag from the verges while doing the work of the absentee street cleaners.

I suggest that if motorists are anxious about slippery road surfaces they stick to main roads or carry a bag of grit and a shovel in their car boot.

D ALEXANDER

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