LANCASHIRE'S highways chiefs have admitted the amount of salt spread on main roads has been cut by 50 per cent after reports of wagons 'pretending to grit'.

Lancashire bosses said it had been ordered by the Government to conserve stocks amid concern of a national shortage.

The move came to light after residents said they had seen the county's wagons driving along priority routes but not spreading any grit.

Council chiefs dismissed 'malicious' claims these trips were a PR exercise 'to convince the public they were doing something'.

They said it was because the wagons were reducing the spread of gritting, and focusing on areas of the most need.

But political opponents said the reduced service was a 'recipe for disaster'.

Council chiefs had already come underfire during the big freeze for focusing only on main roads, leaving neighbourhoods treacherous.

Blackburn with Darwen has also been told to reduce its use of grit, but has not made a final decision on how to do this.

The cuts comes as forecasters predict freezing temperatures bringing frost and possible snow and sleet next week.

County highways chief Coun Keith Young said it was imperative they were efficient with supplies.

He said it was now the county's policy to tell drivers to check for specific ice patches before gritting sections of some roads.

He said: “It’s absolutely crucial at this point that we conserve the grit now the Government have assumed control of our supplies.

“We have been gritting 1,500 miles of both A and B roads till now, but it’s no longer up to us.

"The Government will be checking the length of our A roads and the weather forecast for the area before telling us how much we can use, and in what density.

"Obviously we are not happy about the position the Government is putting us in any more than residents. We are now in the process of re-assigning the routes.”

The Conservative-led council’s leader Coun Geoff Driver slammed the 'false and malicious rumours being spread by elected politicians'.

He said: "It shows a complete disregard for residents and indeed for the drivers who have done a magnificent job in keeping the main roads of Lancashire open."

Labour leader at Lancashire County Council Coun Jennifer Mein questioned the policy and said: “It’s a recipe for disaster.

"How can drivers go out looking for black ice at night time?

"It’s very dangerous and frankly unacceptable. The winter didn’t even start until mid December and already the rationing is at a ridiculous level.

"Residents deserve better.”

Hyndburn Labour leader Coun Graham Jones said priority roads should be done properly.

He said: "Residents who contacted me were completely baffled when they spotted these wagons and actually stopped drivers to ask what they were doing.

"The drivers admitted they had been told to just drive around.

"When I inquired further with highways I was told it was a policy called ‘patrol and grit’ where they first checked for icy patches on roads that should be routinely gritted anyway.

"To me though, the policy should be called ‘pretending to grit’.

“There is no grit left so they have to convince the public they are doing something.

"It’s staggering the amount of time, diesel and money being spent on this facade. Residents want priority roads done properly.”

Hyndburn borough councillor for Oswaldtwistle, Claire McCormack said she decided to follow gritters herself after receiving calls from residents.

She said: “I thought it was bad enough that pavements were left unattended but when main roads which had been visited by wagons were left ungritted I was horrified.”

County Coun for Brierfield and Nelson North Coun Mohammed Iqbal said districts should be in charge of gritting.

He said: "I have nothing but praise for the drivers, but it’s clearly chaos at the top.

"The public have lost all confidence in the county.”