BY PETE HENSHAW

CREWE and Nantwich's icy end to the millennium year 2000 caused an abnormally large amount of snow and ice related accidents and has prompted calls for more extensive gritting over the coming winter months.

The state of some roads in the area has been lambasted by councillors and residents alike who feel the gritting was simply not good enough over the four day period between Thursday December 28 and New Year's Eve.

Ex-council employee, Malcolm Heywood gritted the streets of Crewe for 14 years and has labelled the situation a joke, echoing the views of other residents.

The situation would appear to be worse than in previous years as Leighton Hospital confirmed that there has been an abnormally high number of patients admitted who had been the victims of ice and snow related falls.

Mr Heywood explained: "The main bus routes which should bear serious attention, were not gritted properly and the main roads were in a bad state."

Mr Heywood also maintained that with the closure of Flag Lane bridge and the West Street fiasco, Wistaston Road has frequently been blocked with traffic causing people to turn down the side roads.

"These side roads had no precautionary action taken to reduce the danger of these conditions, which is a greater risk to our children who play in the side streets," he added.

Ullswater Avenue resident, Robert Parker is also incensed at the situation: "Driving conditions were hazardous on many side roads and our pavements were treacherous, especially for senior citizens," he said.

Willaston Cllr, Brian Silvester said: "Most roads have been left totally ungritted or salted and Crewe Town Centre has been like a skating rink," he said.

"Only recently the borough council was offering to salt and grit private car parks, free of charge, yet when the snow comes they can't even deal with the roads and the town centres under their management.

"Lives have been put at risk by their inaction," he added.

Bob Williams, District Engineer for Crewe, is in charge of the five gritters working the streets of the town and defended the state of the roads.

"We have a route plan and we started with the primary routes and we called in contractors for the rural areas," Mr Williams explained.

"We have to ensure we keep these routes going and then we can go onto the secondary routes," he added.

Mr Williams emphasised that they were working flat out and often had to go back and re-grit some primary routes.

"We have had drivers working in the day and other drivers working through the night," he added.