County weather 'worst in decades'

Derbyshire County Council has said it is dealing with the worst winter weather for 30 years.

The authority is now only gritting main roads throughout the county due to a shortage of salt.

A council spokesperson said: "Our salt supplier hasn't been able to deliver the required amounts and we're monitoring the situation closely.

"We had a delivery last night [Monday]and we're doing all we can to get more supplies from elsewhere."

The council said it was not cutting down on the amount of grit it used on main routes and will start to refill grit bins when supplies allow.

60 schools closed

People have been urged to avoid car journeys where possible.

Sean Wells from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue said: "If you do need to travel were possible please use public transport.

"If you do need to use your own vehicle please ensure that you allow enough time for your journey and that all the windows are clear from ice and snow."

About 60 schools were forced to close across Derbyshire on Tuesday because of poor weather conditions.

Further outbreaks of snow are expected. Temperatures are not predicted to go above 2C (36F) and could drop to -4C (25F) overnight.

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