EDP and Evening News gives chocolate bars to the Norfolk County Council gritter drivers to say thank you for keeping the roads clear during the snow. Drivers at the Aylsham depot, left to right, Peter Willimott, Joe Harris, Gill Stonestreet and Liam Cooper.
PHOTO: ANTONY KELLY

Norfolk’s gritting team is thanked for their help on the roads during the snow

Thursday, February 7, 2013
6.22 PM

When the snow comes down and icy conditions make driving difficult, it’s the job of Norfolk County Council’s gritting team to come to the rescue and help keep the county’s road network running.

EDP and Evening News gives chocolate bars to the Norfolk County Council gritter drivers to say thank you for keeping the roads clear during the snow. Driver Gill Stonestreet at the Aylsham depot. PHOTO: ANTONY KELLY

Throughout the recent wintry weather the team worked around the clock to grit the roads and help make them safer for drivers, and to say thank you for their vital work the Norwich Evening News and EDP visited the gritting team’s Aylsham depot with dozens of chocolate bars.

Norwich Evening News and EDP editor Nigel Pickover said: “The gritting team played a vital role in helping people stay safe on the roads during the recent big freeze. The chocolate is a token of our thanks on behalf of our readers.”

When members of the gritting team were asked about what it was like working in the heavy snow, driver Gill Stonestreet said: “For me, it’s the best time. I love the adrenaline rush you get from it, I love the business. I love the urgency of being needed. I feel we’re an emergency service.”

Liam Cooper said: “It was quite intense. The busy 10 days we had were beginning to stretch us. We were working midnight to midday for nine days on the spin.”

The priority gritting routes include 2,063 miles (3301km) of Norfolk’s roads and the whole priority network is treated in about three hours.