Gritters deployed to protect roads amid heatwave

The heatwave has led to the unusual sight of gritters being used in the summer.

They are normally deployed during cold snaps to stop road surfaces from freezing, but a number of councils are using the vehicles to spread crushed rock dust as temperatures soar.

Some roads have become so hot that they have started to melt and stick to tyres.

Crushed rock particles are being spread by councils to create a non-stick layer between roads and vehicles.

Local authorities in Cumbria, Lancashire, Doncaster and Hampshire are among those using gritters this week.

Keith Little, cabinet member for highways at Cumbria County Council, said: "If the bitumen becomes overheated, this could potentially lead to a loss of shape in the carriageway surface as well as affecting vehicles.

"We have deployed gritters to protect our roads from longer-term damage, and also avoiding damage to people's vehicles."

Motorists who find sticky tar on their vehicles are advised to wash it off with warm soapy water.

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