A scathing attack was today launched against Essex County Council for the fiasco of poorly gritted roads.

Many residents in Benfleet effectively became housebound yesterday after a blizzard made the roads icy.

Castle Point Council leader Dave Wells demanded a public apology from the county council and contractors McAlpines who he said failed to make the roads safe by adequately gritting them.

Dave Lumley, operations manager at McAlpine, said the company did not wish to comment.

Mr Wells, who also runs a building company in Benfleet, said many of his employees had been unable to get to work because the roads were so bad.

He said: "If the roads had been gritted properly, this would not have happened - it must have cost thousands of pounds in lost business."

Ron Williams, Essex County Council's cabinet member for highways, blamed lack of resources for not being able to grit every road.

He said: "I am well aware of the level of complaints about the gritting in Castle Point and I do sympathise with residents.

"However, the county has never had the resources to be able to grit every single residential road - we can only grit all primary routes."

Published Thursday, January 9, 2003

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