Gritting crews are now on standby to tackle Staffordshire's slippy roads as the weather becomes cooler.

As autumn is well under way, the county council has announced that from this week crews will receive live weather updates and winter decision makers will decide when to roll out Staffordshire's gritting crews and hill contractors.

11 brand new state-of-the-art gritting machines will be taking to the roads this winter season after being tested alongside the old machines earlier this month.

Road temperatures will be monitored from now until April with crews ready to spring into action when temperatures drop below freezing.

Peter Mason, Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Strategic Highways said: "The weather might be relatively mild now, but winter weather can arrive quickly and conditions can be very different from one part of Staffordshire to another.

"That is why we plan ahead, use detailed forecasts and keep a close eye on road temperatures.

"Our crews, vehicles and salt supplies are ready, so we can act promptly to help keep people travelling safely when freezing conditions are forecast."

The county council's hill contractors will also be ready to grit any higher ground which traditional machines can't reach.

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Cllr Mason continued: "When snow reaches Staffordshire's highest and most rural roads, our local contractors provide the extra support needed to tackle routes beyond the reach of our main fleet.

"Working alongside our gritting crews, they help us respond across the county and keep these communities connected when the weather is at its worst."