Surrey County Council’s winter operation has swung into action.

The council’s fleet of gritting lorries went out on Tuesday night for the first time this winter after road surface temperatures plunged.

Ahead of winter, Surrey stockpiled 16,000 tonnes of salt, prepared 39 hi-tech gritters and signed up an army of farmers equipped with spreaders and ploughs. In addition nearly 1,800 roadside grit bins were filled.