FURTHER to the York Highways overspend on gritting the roads in and around York (March 1), the word "gritting" is something of a misnomer, in so much as there is no grit involved.

What is spread on the roads is rock salt. If it were grit that was spread, then the road verges would be full of tons of grit.

Occasionally, when I have travelled into York when there has been a frost, the roads have been bone dry with no white frost nor ice on the road. But, after the Hopgrove roundabout, the roads have all been wet as a result of being salted.

This is because of the salt dissolving. So why put salt on what were dry roads? Grit does not dissolve, but gets thrown to the edge of the road. What a waste.

J P Unsworth,

Bossall, York.

Updated: 09:37 Wednesday, March 09, 2005