BURY Council have warned residents to go easy on the grit as the wintry weather continues.

The council’s gritting team have been out in force doing their best to keep the town moving as freezing temperatures and snow wreak havoc on the roads this week.

The team, which is based in Bradley Fold Trading Estate, have been out several times each night, and while they say they have ample stock, they are finding it difficult to refill the borough’s grit bins, according to the council’s head of waste management, Glenn Stuart.

He said: “It’s been quite extraordinary. It has been a long cold winter and we have been out more than in previous years.

“The weather we have had the last few days has been some of the worst we have had in a while.

“One of the difficulties at the moment is the wind. It’s this powdery snow which is quite different to what we usually get and is more prone to drifting.”

“We will continue to do what we can with the resources available. We have 350 grit bins across the borough and it is quite a task to fill them and they don’t take long to empty.

“We have generous stocks and there is no danger of us running out but if we are out constantly then things can change.”

Among the areas worst affected by the weather have been rural areas to the north of the borough, such as Ramsbottom and Affetside, where the village’s main access route, Watling Street, is closed.

Meanwhile, the council were also forced to suspend Thursday's scheduled bin collections due to the weather and say they will be monitoring the situation again tomorrow.

Mr Stuart added: “We had no option because it was too hazardous. We have redeployed staff on gritting duty, refilling bins and gritting town centres to try to make it safe under foot.”

“The message to residents is please leave your bin out and we will get to it as soon as possible. We would also encourage all residents to keep an eye on the council’s website and Twitter feed for updates."

The council say that any missed brown bin collections will be collected on the next scheduled collection date, weather permitting.