COUNCIL bosses may be forced to spend thousands of pounds in a bid to stop people launching legal claims for slipping on icy paths and roads.

Previously, councils had a statutory duty to maintain public highways but were not responsible for preventing ice and snow forming on them.

But under new legislation introduced last year, highway authorities have a duty to ensure - so far as is 'reasonably practicable' - that safe passage along a highway is not endangered by snow and ice.

Lancashire County Council is now being advised to a review its code of practice for winter maintenance, to discover what extra measures should be undertaken.

But council bosses fear that the new legislation could result in an increase in the number of claims received by their legal department.

A spokesman said that the emphasis was on the words 'reasonably practicable'.

In 2001, Lancashire County Council paid out nearly £6million in insurance claims and expects the figure to rise to £15million in years to come.

The spokesman added: "There is no case law on this and nobody has come up with a definition of what 'reasonably practicable' means.

"We are currently reviewing our gritting policy and working with other local authorities and various bodies to work out what it means for us but we are already doing more gritting than the district auditor says we should.

"The results of the review will not be available until later in the year but if it decides that we have to start spending more money and doing more gritting then so be it.

"If we have to extend our gritting then there will be costs involved such as the cost of new machinery which could run into thousands of pounds."

Andy Kay, for Blackburn with Darwen Council said: "As a result of this change in legislation, the council undertook during 2003 a review of our winter maintenance policy, as did most other highway authorities.

"We have made revisions, and implemented them, for the current season accordingly."