A COUNCILLOR who spent £200 tackling Blackburn's slippery side streets with his very own "grit wagon" is campaigning for more salt bins to prevent casualties.

Audley councillor Hussain Akhtar dug deep into his own pocket, during the Christmas grit crisis, hiring a driver and wagon, and purchasing his own salt from Blackburn's Byrom Supplies.

Coun Akhtar, who shovelled the grit on to seven minor roads, leading to local mosques, said he was responding to desperate calls from numerous people isolated due to the weather.

The council's policy is to grit minor roads only after the main roads are clear. But today Coun Akhtar, who lives in Whalley Range, said councillors needed to provide a greater service to the hundreds of citizens living on side-streets.

He said: "Lots of people live on roads not gritted by the council and they were unable to go out because of snow and black ice. My telephone didn't stop ringing and I heard from lots of elderly people who couldn't get out or go to the mosques, so I took matters into my own hands went out on to the streets.

"I wanted to help out my community, like I was elected to, and I have arranged a meeting with council officers to discuss the problem. I understand that resources are short and grit wagon cannot reach all streets but something must be done before a nasty accident occurs.

"What if an emergency vehicle could not get down one of the streets? People were really angry about the situation and I want them to know that I am going to represent them."

East Lancashire Tory MP Nigel Evans has warned that people will be injured or killed unless the county council starts gritting rural lanes and pavements.

He is furious that many country roads were not gritted during the recent big freeze putting the elderly and children particularly at risk.

Mr Evans -- who has been besieged by complaints from constituents -- wants Lancashire County Council to rethink its policy and get the gritters out into the countryside. The Shadow Cabinet member said: "The County Council has got a duty to keep our roads and footpaths safe in the winter. The current policy leaves country lanes ungritted and unsafe days after the initial frost.