Croydon council bosses in bid to stop people stealing salt this winter
TAKE salt from a roadside bin to grit your drive this winter and you could be caught red, green or even purple-handed.
Cunning council chiefs plan to dye 125 tonnes of salt a bright colour to stop it being taken for "private use".
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GRIT IDEA: What the council's salt reserves might look like if Cllr Phil Thomas' experiments prove successful
Town Hall officials hope it will prevent the grit from being "stolen or sold on by crooks".
Staff are sick of filling 500 roadside bins with salt every autumn, only to be bombarded with complaints they are empty when the snow falls in winter.
The roadside bins are designed to be used by motorists at busy junctions or steep hills.
It is hoped that dyeing the salt a bright colour – preferably purple to match the council's branding – will allow highways staff to identify the "thieves" easily.
However, the main aim is to deter people from taking it at all.
Councillor Phil Thomas, cabinet member for highways and the environment, said: "Whenever we get snow in Croydon, we're told the salt has either been stolen from bins or taken for someone's drive.
"This means it's not available for spreading on roads to keep them safe.
"If our salt stocks could be dyed a bright colour, people will think twice about how it should be used."
Council boffins have yet to find a suitable colour or dye, with experiments resulting in salt which is a muddy green colour, or the usual brown when churned up underfoot. If successful, it is hoped the measure will help avoid the traffic chaos which has blighted the borough for two successive winters.
Cllr Thomas added: "We think we are probably the only council in the country thinking along these lines."
Highways campaigner Peter Rhoades, chairman of Addington Community Association, said the council should be careful what it wishes for. He said: "It's a good idea but not because it will help catch people who steal the salt.
"If they dye it a bright colour, everyone will be able to tell the roads that haven't been gritted.
"It's so typical of Croydon Council to come up with a harebrained way of telling us the reason there's no grit is because we've nicked it all."
What do you think of this plan? E-mail your views to newsdesk@croydonadvertiser.co.uk
7 Comments
by Bon, Addington
Thursday, November 25 2010, 3:35PM
“They lie about people stealing the salt from the salt bins.. in feb when we had really bad snow.. i went to a salt bin to find it filled with people domestic waste!!!”
by RobinHood, Thieves Wood,Sherwood
Sunday, November 07 2010, 8:45PM
“Croydon Council do not own anything,it is paid for by the public.
The Council 'bosses' are public servants and should grit peoples drives as a thank you for keeping them and all of the other Council Workers in a cushy life.”
by Anne, Not Selsdon
Sunday, November 07 2010, 12:00PM
“yep Anne Giles has definately lost the plot its official.
The men in white coats are on their way.”
by Anne, Not Selsdon
Saturday, November 06 2010, 2:52PM
“Keep talking about salt all the time , what about Percy pepper he never gets a mention.
Anne report all you like you stupid woman , know one gives a t*ss your always on here under other names now bog off stupid.”
by Richard III, Victorian Croydon
Friday, November 05 2010, 2:19PM
“Anne - Dont be silly, the roads are never gritted properly.”
by ANNE, SELSDON
Friday, November 05 2010, 11:16AM
“Great idea.”
by Richard III, Victorian Croydon
Friday, November 05 2010, 10:58AM
“My council tax pays for the salt, so if I want to take some to grit my drive then I will do so.
Croydon council: BRING IT ON.”