Council under fire over Rotherham's unsalted pavements

Shivering Rotherham folk were left slipping and sliding around the borough this week after pavements were left unsalted despite the coldest Christmas in years.

Furious residents queued up to air their gritting grumbles about Rotherham Borough Council and for once it was not roads but pavements at the heart of their complaints.

There were reports of particularly treacherous pavements in Swinton, Bramley, Masbrough, Moorgate and the town centre.

And there was cold comfort for those sounding off this week after more snow and ice was forecast for the weekend—with the borough council insisting that it did not have the resources to grit all Rotherham’s roads, never mind its pavements.

Tory councillor Tony Mannion was among those claiming that many stretches across town had been left unsafe to walk on after sub-zero temperatures turned part melted snow into sheets of ice.

Julia Kitchen, of Wadsworth Road, Bramley, was left hot under the collar about gritting despite living near a council depot.

"The lads have been going past my house in the wagons to grit the roads on several nights and have been rather busy," she said.

"However, no-one seems to have gritted the pavements round Bramley and the grit bins, which are few and far between, are always empty."

A council spokesman said that main roads and bus routes were the top priority for the borough's gritting teams.

"The crews are working through the night but we've just not got the resources to do the footpaths at the moment," he said.

"We do sympathise with people that have icy footpaths and we will try to get to them when we get a break in the weather.

"There is heavy demand for salt and we've been out to two other local authority areas for extra salt as back-up."