A FLEET of gritters will be heading out this evening as temperatures in north Worcestershire are set to fall below freezing point.

So far this winter, the county's gritters have only been called into action on Christmas Eve and New Year's Day, but forecasters predict that road surface temperatures in the region could fall to as low as -4°C this evening (January 3).

Worcestershire County Council's teams will be gritting roads across Kidderminster, Bromsgrove and Redditch from 6pm.

Councillor Alan Amos, Worcestershire County Council's cabinet member for highways, said: "Throughout the holiday period we had our teams on standby, ready to head out in all weathers to help keep us safe on the roads.

"It stayed relatively mild but tonight it's expected to be cold so the gritters will be going out.

"It's always a good idea to check the weather forecast and follow @WorcsTravel on Twitter for the latest information about what's happening on the county's roads.

"And remember that even though a road is gritted it may not be safe to drive at normal speeds so people should drive with care."

Worcestershire County Council has stockpiled 14,701 tonnes of salt for this winter, with a further 5,000 tonnes in emergency stocks.

To check gritting routes in your area, visit bit.ly/gritroute. To report a problem with a gritting route or empty grit bin, go to bit.ly/grittingissue.