VOLUNTEERS are being encouraged to come forward to store grit and salt during the winter.

They are needed in areas of Colchester which do not have a parish council, which usually stores the grit when it is handed over by Essex County Council.

Sue Lissimore, borough councillor for Prettygate, which does not have a parish council, said: “We already have some people who have come forward, but the more people we have, the better.

“The idea is if it snows or there is bad ice, the people who have the grit stored will go out on the streets and make them safer for people walking along them.”

Mrs Lissimore also said residents were not at risk of being sued if they cleared their own fronts and someone else slipped.

“That is a common misconception,” she said.

“I can assure residents that is not the case.”

To volunteer, contact Mrs Lissimore on 07540328316.