THE number of roads being gritted in the region was drastically reduced last night after the North-East’s biggest council admitted it had under two days’ salt supplies remaining.

With stocks down to 1,690 tonnes and only one small delivery expected all week, Durham County Council restricted pre-salting to A-roads only from 4pm today.

Councils across the region are facing shortages and more snow is forecast from tomorrow.

But the situation is particularly bad in County Durham.

An internal council memo seen by The Northern Echo reveals stocks had fallen to 1,690 tonnes.

Only one delivery of 150 tonnes today is expected all week.

National stocks have fallen from 300,000 to 200,000 tonnes in the past seven days.

In the email, Councillor Bob Young, the council’s cabinet member for strategic environment, says: “Realistically, we don’t think we have a choice but to further reduce our current arrangements.

“We should conserve what salt we have.”

Gritting the county’s A and B roads uses 300 to 1,000 tonnes per day.

Pre-salting was reduced from 45 per cent to 25 per cent of roads, covering A and B routes only, early last month.

The latest reduction will see only 15 per cent pre-salted, although 45 per cent will be ploughed.

Coun Young called the move a last resort, saying the reduced salt supplies had been 700 tonnes short of what was promised.

Terry Collins, the council’s director of neighbourhoods, said: “Last week, I spoke to senior officials at the Department for Transport to further plead our case, but national supplies are now so low that I have been advised we will not be receiving additional stocks.”

Councils are becoming increasingly frustrated at the power of Salt Cell, a national group re-introduced by the Government at the height of last month’s big freeze to decide which areas of the country should be given salt first.

Durham City MP Roberta Blackman-Woods raised the county’s plight with Transport Secretary Lord Adonis during the Cabinet visit to Durham last Thursday and expects answers today.

Darlington Borough Council has two to three days’ supplies left and expects a delivery today.

North Yorkshire County Council has about 5,000 tones left, Stockton has 300 tonnes in stock while Middlesbrough has 150 tonnes. Further deliveries are expected later this week.

Redcar and Cleveland and Hartlepool have adequate supplies.

More snow fell yesterday, creating hazardous driving conditions during morning rush hour.

The A19 was closed for about six hours yesterday morning after an articulated lorry skidded on ice and hit a bridge at the Hartlepool turnoff shortly before midnight on Sunday.

The 60-year-old driver was cut free by fire crews and taken by ambulance to the University Hospital of North Tees, Stockton, where he was treated for minor injuries.

The road re-opened at 5.15am.