Name a gritter competition

Fida Hussain with gritters

After years of service keeping roads free of ice and snow, gritters Freddie Salted, Grittersaurus, Goliath, Walter the Salter, Gritterbug, Gritney Spears, Gritanator and Thor have retired to the big depot in the sky and Oldham Council wants young people to name their replacements.

In the course of their duties it is estimated the retiring gritters clocked up more than 1.2 million miles – more than five times the distance from the earth to the moon – keeping roads, including some of the highest in the region, clear during the winter months.

In that time they have put down more than 20,000 tonnes of salt – around the same weight as 5,000 Asian elephants.

The newest member of the fleet, Nicole Saltslinger – a favourite with residents and the ‘gritterarati’ - is being kept and will be joined by seven new gritters.

Young people are being asked to ‘prove their salt’ and come up with a name for each new addition to the team.

Send suggestions along with your details to Oldham Council using the following form:

https://www.oldham.gov.uk/forms/form/450/en/name_a_gritter_competition

Once the winning entries have been chosen the gritter will then be branded with its new name on the front of the cab.The the winners will be invited to be photographed with the machine they have named.

Residents will then be able to look out for the vehicles as they travel around the borough spreading grit and salt.

The competition is open to all school age children aged 16 and under, who either live in Oldham or attend a school in the borough. The closing date for entries is noon on Sunday 22 October.

Councillor Fida Hussain, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, said: “Over the years our fleet of gritters have provided a great service to the people of Oldham.

“Due to wear and tear the time has come to replace them so they, and their drivers, can continue to play a vital role in helping to keep the borough moving during cold spells.”