North Ayrshire’s drivers are being urged to stay safe on the roads this winter as the colder weather begins to arrive.

The council’s roads team are now on weather watch for any snow and ice forecasted from now until April 2019.

A squad of 37 drivers and 17 multi-purpose vehicles will be available 24/7 to keep the area’s priority routes in use throughout winter.

North Ayrshire Council is responsible for the majority of roads in the area although trunk roads such as the A78, A737 and A738 are operated, maintained and gritted by Transerv Scotland.

Some 7,000 tonnes of road salt is stocked at the council’s mainland storage depot in Kilwinning, with a further 1,600 tonne stockpile being kept at the depot at Brodick in Arran.

Councillor Jim Montgomerie, Cabinet Member for Place, said: “Our gritters have already been out and about on a practice drill to ensure they are in the best position possible to respond if and when the weather takes a turn for the worse.

“We have round-the-clock measures in place to keep our priority routes clear and keep North Ayrshire moving.”

More information and guidance is available on the Ready Scotland website www.readyscotland.org