NEW gritters and weather forecasting equipment should ensure the roads stay clear in North Yorkshire this winter.

North Yorkshire County Council and the county's highways department have teamed up with the city council in York to increase winter maintenance cover

Twenty-two gritters with computer-controlled spreading equipment are standing by in garages around the county.

Up to 100 farmers have agreed to lend their support to road clearance work should the need arise in rural part of the county.

North Yorkshire has also been linked up to a web-based system which specialises in meteorological predictions and taking measurements.

North Yorkshire County Council's executive member for environmental services, Councillor John Fort, said: "We're delighted to see the investment made in new winter maintenance vehicles to support what is already a service level much better than most of our neighbours."