GRITTING crews across Kirklees have targeted almost double the number of roads recommended in guidelines in their fight against the Arctic weather.

Local authority guidelines recommend that 36% of main roads are gritted when snow falls.

But Kirklees Council has ensured that 60% of its roads are covered during a "full grit".

They have also ensured 1,000 yellow plastic bins full of rock salt have been available for residents to spread on untreated estate roads and pavements.

Several local authorities were found wanting last year, when the country ground to a halt because councils had saved money by cutting back on the gritting budget.

Terry Walker, senior maintenance engineer for Kirklees Council said: "This authority works to a code of good practice.

"It is recommended that 36% of roads are gritted but we do 60% which is far and above the minimum level.

"The safety of the travelling public is a very high priority."

Mr Walker said that once the priority roads had been stabilised, gritters were sent on secondary routes such as residential estates.

These were supplemented by grit bins for use by homeowners on their roads and pavements.

"The bins get filled up after each spell of bad weather," he added.

"It generally takes about two days to fill up all 1,000 bins and we shall be doing that this weekend."

Mr Walker said that a full grit took place at 6pm last night.

The Met Office predicted that milder weather from the south west will raise temperatures to 5-6ºc today and tomorrow.

A spokesman said:

"We are in for an unsettled period with bands of rain and breezy weather."

Winter's icy grip loosened on much of Britain today as weathermen warned of a new hazard - floods.

A spokesman for PA WeatherCentre said: "We could well get flooding in areas such as Yorkshire as river levels are sure to rise."