Unmanned Denholme depot is targeted by people wanting salt

At one of the worst affected, pick-up trucks and lorries, as well as people in cars, have been spotted taking salt for their own use.

The problem has been highlighted in a Council report published as gritting crews work flat-out to deal with the heaviest snowfalls at this time of year in nearly two decades.

The unmanned Stubden Depot at Denholme is cited as being regularly targetted by thieves and the Council’s Executive will on Friday consider a call for it to be fenced off to protect valuable supplies.

People parking vehicles near a sharp bend by the depot on the busy A629 are causing an additional hazard. Police have given out warnings to opportunists they have caught red-handed but no further action has been taken, the report notes.

Ward Councillor Michael Ellis (Con, Bingley Rural) said the cost of fencing might work out more expensive than the amount of salt actually being stolen and he appealed for people to stop the thefts.

He said: “Hands off the salt. Leave it alone and let the Council get on with using it where it is needed as part of the winter plan.

“I spotted one man filling up bags and passing them over to his wife who was putting them in the car and then I saw two men with spades loading up a pick-up belonging to a Cullingworth company, it’s name was emblazoned across the vehicle. The salt is the Council’s property, taking it without consent is theft.

“The only thing that could prevent this happening is if they put up barbed wire but health and safety would probably have a problem with that.”

The Council also has 600 grit bins and piles across the district and has 200 requests for more but it is unlikely it will ever be able to meet that demand, says the report, which adds that grit bins rarely solve problems of frozen paths and sideroads because they are quickly emptied and the way the salt is often spread by residents means it has little impact.

Meanwhile, the Council’s gritting crews were again working through the night to ensure major routes were treated as forecasters predicted more snow today.

Residents in some villages, however, complained that their roads were not being gritted.

Stirling Moor, of High Spring Road, Thwaites Brow, Keighley, said the snow was so deep that some people were unable to get out of the village yesterday.

He said: “People are very frustrated with the Council’s response.

“They promised they would learn lessons from last year, but they don’t seem to have done.”

In response Keith Escritt, principal engineer Keighley traffic and highways, said: “We have got to concentrate on keeping the major routes open during heavy snow especially in the lead up to the morning and evening rush hours.

“Our next priority is gritting minor roads used by buses, and the rest of the road network comes after that.

“We can ‘t grit every road in the district but we do try to cover all the main roads, including the Long Lee area.”

Yesterday’s weather conditions caused the closure of 18 schools and colleges across the district as many staff were unable to reach work.

Day centres for the elderly also closed and many refuse collections had to be cancelled due to the treacherous state of residential streets.

Pat Cole, the Council’s service manager community care said despite hazardous weather, staff had done “an excellent job in maintaining the home care and meals service to all our vulnerable customers”.

Bus services were also hit with operators running on main roads only when side roads were impossible.

Passengers at Leeds-Bradford International Airport also faced delays and were being advised to contact their airline or tour operator to find out more.

The conditions were also keeping A&E staff busy at Bradford Royal Infirmary and Airedale Hospital.

Dr Brad Wilson, clinical lead for A&E at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are seeing an increase in severe injuries from falls. People who would normally be coming in with sprains or slight fractures are coming in with severe fractures and that alone is putting pressure on demands for surgery.

“What we aren’t seeing is the elderly coming in with breaks. They tend to hibernate when it’s like this unless they really have to go out.

“It’s the middle-aged and young we are seeing most of. The message is be careful out there, wear the proper kind of clothing and shoes.”