POLICE and fire officers in County Durham have encouraged motorists to consider fitting winter tyres to their cars to make driving safer when the temperatures drop.

Winter tyres are designed to offer better performance and increased safety when the thermometer drops below 7C.

Durham Constabulary Chief Constable Mike Barton and Stuart Errington from County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service have both advocated winter tyres, saying reduced grip from normal tyres in icy conditions can make even basic manoeuvres more difficult.

Mr Barton said: "I am delighted to hear that some tyre suppliers are offering discounts on winter tyres which will increase safety on our roads."

Mr Errington added: "We would always advocate the use of winter tyres as it can improve safety on the roads and help reduce accidents."

Motorists who are not planning to switch to winter tyres are asked to make sure their car's regular tyres have treads that are well above the legal minimum of 1.6 across the central three quarters of the tyre.