Dozens of gritter drivers, farmers and contractors have been praised for their efforts to keep the roads in Shropshire and Powys clear of snow and ice over the past week.

Since last Friday there have been 25 Shropshire Council gritting lorries – and their Ringway drivers – spreading around 4,700 tonnes of salt on more than 950 miles of roads, including the county’s A and B roads, important access routes, and high-risk routes such as those close to schools and hospitals – plus major town centre shopping areas, and heavily-used pavements and cycle paths.

At the same time, more than 100 farmers and contractors across the county deployed tractor-mounted snowploughs – 27 of which also have tractor-mounted gritters – and 12 snowblowers, to clear snow from the county’s roads.

Steve Davenport, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, said since last Friday, gritting and snow ploughing has been taking place 24 hours a day.

“Keeping Shropshire moving during a cold snap is a full-time job and there is a dedicated team of people working, often unnoticed and often through the night and around the clock, to help keep the county’s roads open,” he said.

“I want to pay tribute to our gritter drivers, and to the farmers and other contractors, who have played such a crucial role in keeping our roads open and traffic moving during the past week.”

Powys County Council said its priority will continue to be the main road network as weather conditions continue to change, but it said more emphasis will be put on removing snow from more remote roads.

Cllr Liam Fitzpatrick, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: “Our highways staff have done an amazing job in challenging conditions and I would like to give them huge thanks for their efforts.”

He added: “I want to remind drivers to be cautious when driving in changing winter weather conditions. Low temperatures and wet weather makes road conditions difficult, even when the roads have been gritted.

“It is essential that drivers go carefully and patiently and that they take care on the roads.”

Meanwhile, Powys County Council has announced an investment of over £425,000 to purchase two patching machines which will aim to repair potholes in a more cost-effective way.