WORCESTERSHIRE County Council's gritting fleet will be undertaking precautionary gritting to primary routes tonight from 7pm.

The move comes as forecasters predict risk of frost and icy patches as road temperatures fall below freezing tonight.

With the possibility of icy road surfaces, the advice remains that motorists should not assume roads have been gritted. Even if a surface has been treated with grit, motorists should never assume it is safe to travel at normal speeds and should temper driving to the conditions.

There is also the potential for some freezing temperatures over the weekend and Worcestershire's gritters will be ready to act as needed.

A county council spokesman said: "Take care on the roads as forecasts suggest that there is the possibility of icy surfaces tonight and potentially over the weekend. The advice remains the same – even if a road has been treated with grit, it is never safe to assume you can travel at normal speeds and motorists should always temper their driving to the conditions."

For up to date weather information, residents should visit the Met Office website at www.metoffice.gov.uk with the County Council's website (www.worcestershire.gov.uk) or its 'gritter twitter', (www.twitter.com/worcscc), providing information on gritting.

The council is warning residents to take care on side roads and residential areas, which are not on the main gritting routes, as they could be particularly difficult to negotiate. Elderly residents and the more vulnerable members of communities are likely to struggle the most in the conditions and so residents are still being asked to provide assistance where necessary.

The county council is also reminding residents of the ways to keep themselves safe, warm and healthy during colder spells. Advice and tips are available on our website www.worcestershire.gov.uk