BRITAIN risks grinding to a halt if it suffers another severe winter, a report by local councils said today.

Bus and train companies needed to be better prepared to deal with extreme cold conditions, the report from the Local Government Association (LGA) added.

The report also said that too few businesses had contingency plans in place so that employees knew what to do when bad weather struck.

The LGA said Network Rail and train companies should install new equipment to make sure that trains could keep running in cold weather and both train and bus companies should be better prepared to operate revised services.

The report said that while it may not be a good use of council taxpayers' money for councils to stockpile more salt, the UK was almost entirely reliant on just two companies for supplying grit for the roads.

The LGA criticised salt suppliers for failing to admit that they were struggling to meet demand during last year's crisis, as this would have allowed councils to find alternative supplies.

The report was also critical of the way the cold snap at the beginning of February this year was handled.

London had its worst snow for 19 years and bus and train services in the capital were particularly badly affected on the worst day of the crisis - Monday February 2.

The LGA report criticised the quality of the service that train and bus companies were able to run and said businesses could have done more to prepare for the severe weather.

Councillor David Sparks, chairman of the LGA's transport and regeneration board, said: ''When we get bad weather this country should not grind to a halt. The rest of the world manages to keep going and so should we. It is high time Network Rail and the train companies tackled problems like freezing points and ice on overhead wires that often occur on our railways during winter.

''When there is heavy snowfall people are advised to stay off the roads so it is more important than ever that buses and trains keep running. There needs to be better plans in place for operating revised services so train and bus companies do not leave people stranded with no idea how to get home.''

He went on: ''In a time of crisis, salt suppliers need to be upfront with councils and the Highways Agency about what they can deliver and when. If they are to keep people moving, councils need to make sure there is enough slack in the system for supplying salt.

''It is essential both for people's safety and the economy that we are properly prepared for extreme weather. Businesses should have plans in place so that when severe weather happens, their staff do not have to drive on dangerous roads and their work is disrupted as little as possible.

''In light of last February's experience, councils have been reviewing how they cope with winter weather. Better systems are in place to make sure councils don't run out of salt if problems arise. Councils are ready to work with bus and train companies to ensure that when cold weather hits, people can get to work and make it home safely again.''