Gritting teams take to the roads in Central Bedfordshire - along with Sir Melt n Gone and Spraylor Swift

As the temperatures plummet and Central Bedfordshire Council’s team of gritters take to the roads, one of their social media team is helping brighten up the dark and dismal mornings.

Adding a lighthearted note to a serious topic ‘Gritter Guy’ has been spreading the news of when the council’s gritters will be out and about this winter.

On Monday he posted a picture of a sign advising motorists to ‘drive with cake’ and said: “My new role as Head of Making Up Helpful Digital Road Signs has gone brilliantly – aside from someone pointing out there was a typo in this one (or was there). Anyway, obviously please do not drive with cake. Pull over in a safe place and then have some cake. Go on – it's Monday and you deserve it.”

But along with the jokes are helpful status updates on gritting in the area.

It comes after the council introduced its new fleet of council gritting machines two years ago – with names picked by the public.

And there is a musical theme to the names, with Leo Sprayer, named, of course, after Leo Sayer, Doris Spray after the iconic Doris Day, Status Snow, Snowasis, Sir Melt n Gone which after a bit of thought leads to down the Yellowbrick Road to Elton John, Spraylor Swift, Sleetwood Mac, Jennifer Snowpez, Spready Mercury, Snowtis Spreading, Spread Zeppelin and George Glycol (the Busway gritter).

The council salts just under half of the roads in Central Bedfordshire when road temperatures are predicted to drop below zero and the roads are expected to be damp.

It receives a special forecast from the Met Office so it knows when it's time to hit the road with its gritters, which spread a mixture of brine (salt-water) and rock salt which helps roads become clearer much faster.

Roads carrying the highest volumes of traffic, with the greatest risk of accidents or providing key access are given priority. These include all A&B roads and most smaller roads, especially if they are busy commuter routes, routes to hospitals, schools, or key to the emergency services.

You can check your postcode at the council's website to see if your road is included.