Snow update

The council's environmental maintenance teams will be out first thing tomorrow morning to grit specific areas of the town centre. We will grit all entrances and surrounding areas of the town's municipal buildings, plus the car park at Doddington Road and the footpaths that go between Swanspool House, Tithe Barn Road office and Croyland Abbey.

We will also grit the steep footpaths that lead into the town centre, namely Sheep Street and Doddington Road . Our teams have also been out gritting the council's depot Trafalgar House and surrounding areas to ensure that essential services such as refuse collections will continue as normal.

The responsibility for most of the town centre, plus all surrounding roads and pavements, lies with the county council, and people should check their website or contact them for more information about their priority areas and gritting schedules.

It is important to note that even when grit is put down on snowy or icy pavements, it doesn't work immediately. It needs people walking on it in order to activate it so people should still take care when walking through the town. Even if a footpath has been gritted there is no guarantee that all the ice has been removed.

Many minor roads and pavements, especially in residential areas, will receive no county council treatment at all. People should be reassured that there are unlikely to be issues of liability involved if they wish to clear these areas themselves, as long as it is done responsibly. The public should follow the government's snow code:

Be careful - don't make the pavements more dangerous by causing them to refreeze. People walking on snow and ice have the responsibility to be careful themselves, so don't be put off clearing paths because you're afraid someone will get injured.

Clear the snow and ice as early as possible in the morning. It's much easier to move fresh, loose snow and any sunshine during the day will help to melt the ice underneath.

Use sand or salt, not water. Ordinary table salt or dishwasher salt will work - a tablespoon for each square metre should be sufficient. If you melt snow with water it may refreeze and turn to black ice, which is incredibly dangerous.

If you don't have enough salt, you can use sand or ash. It won't stop the path icing over as efficiently as salt, but it will provide a good grip underfoot. Don't use the salt found in salt bins - this is needed to keep roads clear.

Take care where you move the snow - don't put it where it will block people's paths or drains. Make sure you make a path down the middle or the area to be cleared first so you have a clear surface to walk on.

If you have neighbours who may have difficulty getting in or out of their homes, offer to clear snow and ice from their property too. Check on any elderly or disabled neighbours during cold weather.