BIKER Steve Shickell is usually seen carrying out his duties on his AA motorbike.

But the recent snowy and icy conditions meant he had to leave it behind.

His role as a motorbike-based AA breakdown patrol mechanic was deemed too dangerous on a bike.

So he’s been based in a van and has even walked to some breakdowns.

Steve, of Outlane, talked to the Examiner last week about the increase in calls during the icy conditions..

Steve said: “The bike is firmly in the garage – it’s just too dangerous to go out on it with all the snow and ice.

“But unbelievably I’ve seen a couple of people in Huddersfield still on bikes and mopeds.

“We don’t deem it safe so my advice is stay off them until the roads are clear and the black ice has gone.

“It’s understandable why people are driving – people are more reliable on their cars or bikes for getting to work regardless of the weather conditions.”

His main job is to carry out basic repairs such as mending faulty lights, tyre punctures and wheel changes.

He’s been riding for eight years, but has been based on an AA bike since last July.

The most common call out of the past two weeks has been for faulty wiper blades and low batteries.

But he has also been called out to deal with cars stranded on ice and people getting locked out of their cars.

Steve, a father-of-two, was a vehicle technician with the RAF for more than 13 years.

He then worked for Mercedes before joining the AA. He covers Huddersfield, Halifax and Brighouse for the motoring organisation.

He added: “We live in a rush society, everybody is always on the move, but if people spend a little time to check their cars and clear ice and snow from the windscreen and roof then they would make it much safer.

“At the moment there is still a lot of snow and ice on the roads, so motorists need to be extra careful.

“The glare of the sun can cause the sun to melt the ice and make the road sludgy, then during the evening it’s cold again and it re-freezes, so people may not be expecting it when they get back out on the road the next day.

“My main advice at all times is – take your time.

“Stopping distances change in wet conditions so people’s braking times need to be sooner.”

Weather conditions look set to improve, although the Met Office say there could be snow in high areas around Huddersfield with fog and frost also predicted.