RESIDENTS have hit out at road bosses for not gritting icy highways and footpaths.

Buckinghamshire County Council has said it is gritting main roads only and will only grit pavements in “prolonged” snow and ice.

The snow since Thursday has turned icy well used routes such as Totteridge Lane and Cock Lane in High Wycombe.

A Marlow reader said “You should see the car parks in Marlow, they are disgraceful and very dangerous.

“The council have done nothing to remove the ice and its one of the busiest shopping days of the year. They have managed to grit the roads why not the car parks.”

Lucy de Rojas from Downley said of High Wycombe: “Day after snow fall which has been forecasted and still pavements in town centre have been like an ice rink.”

On Friday we reported how hospital appointments were cancelled because High Wycombe ambulance crews were snowed in (see link, bottom of story).

Guidance from the council (see link, bottom of story), says: “Many pavements aren't routinely salted.

“In times of prolonged icy weather, or when snow remains on the ground, we will treat major areas, i.e. main shopping places.”

It urged people to avoid using pavements in the shade.

About 40 per cent of roads are gritted, it says, and other gritting on other roads “would only happen after a prolonged period of cold weather or snowfall”.

Tyler’s Green’s Odette Brazil, meanwhile, has a novel tip for clearing driveways.

She said: “I suggested to my husband to use the blower that we normally use to blow away the leaves and blow away the snow on the sides of our driveway to create a snow-free area for our car to turn around and take us out. It works like magic!”

Click the link for a gallery of our snow pictures. Email your pictures, views and news to bfpnews@london.newsquest.co.uk. You can also comment below.