Drivers have been assured "the most technologically advanced gritting operation the county has ever seen" is ready to keep the county's roads clear of snow and ice this winter.

Norfolk County Council has spent almost £5m over the past two years on 45 new gritting vehicles and has now added new technology to all lorries in its 58-strong fleet.

Officers at Conservative-controlled County Hall says it means each gritting vehicle will run with new auto-salting technology, which was trialled on some gritters last year.

Norfolk County Council grittersNorfolk County Council gritters (Image: Norfolk County Council)

Council officials say, with the gritting crews aided by satellite navigation, it will allow teams to salt the road with limited manual intervention - making it more accurate, saving time and reducing waste.

The council says the technology reduces the amount of salt used by between 10pc and 15pc and means it will not end up on grass verges and other areas which do not need gritting.

Graham Plant, the council's cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport, said: "Our winter service is relied upon by many communities, businesses and visitors to Norfolk, ensuring the highway network remains open and available for use by all modes of transport in the most severe weather conditions.

"I'm delighted that this new technology, installed in our winter vehicles, will mean we can maximise resource and avoid waste.

"The introduction of 45 new vehicles over the last two years means our teams are better equipped than ever before to keep Norfolk moving this winter."

The council says the technology also allows vehicles to track pre-programmed routes, with drivers able to set the required spread rate for salt.

It is also upgrading roadside weather stations. These collect data, such as road surface temperatures, and help determine gritting routes. Stations in Smallburgh, Cromer and Barn Road in Norwich have been recently upgraded.

Norfolk County Council grits some 2,200 miles of A, B and some C class roads, along with some pedestrian areas of King's Lynn, Great Yarmouth and Norwich.

National Highways is responsible for gritting the A11 and A47.

It has become something of a tradition to give gritting trucks pun-filled names.

Here are some of the Norfolk gritter names:

Gritter me Timbers
Gritty Mcgritter Face
The Grittenator
Blitzen Blaster
True Grit
Chittygrittybangbang
Snowy
Icemelter
Winter Warrior
Grinch the Gritter
Lewice Hamilton
Grittersaurus