A COUNCIL leader today welcomed the results of a Lancashire Evening Telegraph poll which revealed people would not want to pay extra money to make sure their roads are gritted.

Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Bill Taylor said the 64 per cent of callers saying 'no' to an increase in council tax vindicated the council's stance that it was doing enough to keep traffic moving during cold spells.

Coun Taylor revealed it would take a 143 per cent increase in the winter maintenance budget -- from £333,000 to £809,190 -- to make sure all roads were gritted.

He said there were 75,000 homes in the borough, meaning a £6.50 rise in council tax for each household in order to grit every road.

But council officers said there are 59,000 homes in the borough -- making any rise just over £8.

An Evening Telegraph phone resulted in 64 per cent of callers saying they wouldn't be prepared for an increase, while 36 per cent said they would.

Today, Coun Taylor said: "I think your phone poll vindicates our stance on this matter.

"People are accepting that we have done our best and done all that we can.

"The result mirrors what people have said at our citizen panel, which is made up of 1,700 chosen to be a representative sample of borough's population."

Concern had been raised about the borough's level of gritting after a recent cold snap resulted in some areas almost grinding to a standstill.