Norfolk County Council told it must grit Norwich's icy paths

An overnight wintry blast led to plenty of falls on slippery pathways in the city centre on Wednesday morning and a Met Office weather warning is in place for snow and ice tonight.

Despite roads generally being well maintained, many pavements on slopes and other hazardous areas are known to become slick with ice in Norwich throughout the winter.

Pavements were treacherous in Norwich last year (Image: Newsquest)

And while there are grit bins dotted around, many people are not aware that they can use them.

"As we move in to the colder weather, we are going to be seeing more and more icy paths," said Gary Champion, Green councillor for the Sewell ward and shadow cabinet minister for communities and social inclusion at City Hall.

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"And there is the potential for an increase in accidents if Norfolk County Council are not careful, particularly affecting those with children, those with disabilities and the elderly."

The authority, which is responsible for both roads and pavements, has been urged to learn from the mistakes of last year - with some older people deciding to stay indoors to avoid a possible fall.

Cllr Gary Champion (Image: Gary Champion)

In particular, Mr Champion said more could be done to help the public get the most out of the grit bins around the city.

"Last winter I was out on the streets with residents gritting paths and there is a lack of awareness that yellow grit bins are for public use," he said.

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"Many are also often not refilled on time and lack the proper tools for residents to use them.

"We have not seen any action from Norfolk County Council on any of these points so far, but I am urging them to get to grips with these issues before we get even deeper into the winter months when icy paths are even more common."

City folk struggled with icy conditions last year (Image: Newsquest)

A county council spokesman said its crews have been carrying out "full gritting runs" across the county, including Norwich.

"While it’s not possible to grit all paths and roads, we do stock salt in 1,900 grit bins across the county which people are free to use in public spaces such as pavements, cycle paths and roads," they added.

"You can also stay up to date by checking our social media, where we let people know when gritting will be taking place, as well as tips and advice for travelling safely through the winter."