RURAL grit bins have been raided by people driving miles from a neighbouring town.

Residents in Laneshawbridge say they have seen at least two people helping themselves to their grit.

But police said that while it was unethical, it was not a punishable offence.

A man was seen loading grit onto his trailor on the back of his 4x4.

Villagers also confronted a woman who said she had driven 10 miles from Burnley to fill her bucket with grit.

Members of the small community branded the grit thieves a ‘disgrace’ for showing a lack of ‘public spirit.’

Roger Bucknell, of Emmott Lane, near Laneshawbridge Primary School, said he confronted someone who was loading up with grit before Christmas.

He said: “I caught somebody filling up a bucket with grit from the bin to put in the back of their car.

"I asked her where she lived and she said Burnley. I told her to put it back and she went off very sheepishly. It’s cheeky and a disgrace.”

Jerry Stanford, chairman of Laneshawbridge Parish Council, said there was no excuse for people stealing their grit.

Mr Stanford, of Keighley Road, said a resident from the village told him about an incident this week where they had seen someone taking grit.

He said: “Someone in a 4x4 with a trailer was shovelling grit from the bin in Kingsley Road onto the trailer before driving away.

“What sort of mentality is that? It isn’t very public spirited.

"It should be for Laneshawbridge people but now we haven’t got any.

“There are quite a lot of elderly people in the village and Kingsley Road and vernon Road are very steep and we don’t have any grit.”

Both residents said they did not report the incidents to the authorities as they did not have the offenders’ vehicle registration numbers.

Gordon Prentice, MP for Pendle, described the situation as ‘bizarre.’

He said: “Who would’ve believed it was possible that people would be stealing salt for the roads?

"It’s not something we want to encourage. People raiding grit that is needed for local people.

“The key is Lancashire County Council getting salt and distributing it.

"I am doing everything I can to get Lancashire County Council to get the salt needed and distribute it for use on local roads, but this weather is totally unprecedented and people understand that."