RESIDENTS around Cumbria concerned about when roads are gritted can now check an online map.

Cumbria County Council says it will update the map each lunchtime to show which roads the council’s gritters intend to treat that evening or overnight.

People on Twitter can get the news on their timeline by following @CumbriaCC which will provide tweets with links to the site once it is updated with gritting news.

Decisions on where to grit are triggered by the council’s monitoring equipment which checks road surface temperatures around the county.

The website is www.cumbria.gov.uk/gritting The new online service has been launched to coincide with the recent arrival of 33 new gritters; part of a fleet of nearly 150 vehicles which represent a £7 million investment by the authority.

The vehicles can also be fitted with snow ploughs, while two new four-wheel drive trucks can also be fitted with snow blowers to tackle some of the country’s highest roads.

The new approach is part of a revamped highways service which pledges to be more responsive and effective than ever before.

So far, around 70 people have also signed up to be snow champions, where they volunteer to clear and treat footways and pavements in their local communities.

However, the authority is seeking 50 people for each of Cumbria’s six districts.

For more info about becoming a snow champion, visit www.cumbria.gov.uk/winter or call 0845 609 6609.

So far this winter, the gritters have been operating on 28 days for priority one and two routes.

Approximately 6,200 tonnes of salt have been used by gritters and for topping up salt bins and heaps.

Cllr Tony Markley, the cabinet member responsible for highways, said: “The new service will help keep drivers safe on Cumbria's roads during the winter months and is representative of the county council's determination to be innovative in making important information available to members of the public."

The Westmorland Gazette also runs an online Grit Watch service to allow you to tell us if your roads are not being gritted.

Use this page to let us know if roads in your area are not being gritted or if your salt bin is empty.

If you spot a problem, email us at newsdesk@kendal.newsquest.co.uk. Twitter users can tweet us about gritting problems by using the hashtag #WGgrit You can send pictures if you spot empty salt bins or sheet ice on untreated roads.