TAXPAYERS will be left to foot an overspend after a council spent almost £1 million protecting motorists in extreme icy weather.

Around £997,000 was set aside by Staffordshire County Council last year in case of a bad winter.

Despite the cash the county council last week announced it could only grit A and B roads due to nationwide shortages of salt and Government co-ordinated supplies.

Staffordshire Police was forced to close Long Lane in Harriseahead, Tixall Road in Stafford and Alsager Road in Audley after the untreated roads were deemed too dangerous to drive on. Police did not have to close any of the roads managed by Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

With the fund now almost empty, the council is predicting an overspend by the end of the financial year.

Conservative councillor Ian Parry has blamed the council for failing to have a contingency gritting plan in place.

He said: "Where was Staffordshire's plan? There has been no proper analysis of the risk. Why are we at the mercy of a small number of road salt suppliers? Why wasn't the risk of this identified? Why are there no emergency alternatives?"

Mr Parry has also criticised the county council's failure to grit many rural roads which he says are busy commuter routes.

He said: "There have been serious cases affecting both private motorists and emergency vehicles where their safety has been compromised."

Long Lane resident John Lightfoot, pictured, believes the county council should have looked at solutions other than gritting to prevent his road being shut by police on February 12.

He said the closure had resulted in "absolute havoc" because it was a route used by many parents to take their children to school.

The grandfather, aged 59, said: "The whole road was a sheet of ice. Cars were sliding all over the road."

John Wakefield, cabinet member for highways, said the county council had always maintained a salt reserve in line with national guidance.

He said: "The highways winter reserve was set aside for just such exceptional weather conditions as we have experienced this year. That was prudent forward planning.

"The £997,000 which councillor Parry was relying on did not include spending during this recent spate of snow and ice. With that taken into account the fund is almost empty and an overspend is now projected by the end of the financial year."

Mr Wakefield said councils nationwide had experienced shortages along with the Highways Agency which had the first call on available supplies.

He said: "That is why the Government has intervened to control the distribution of road salt.

"Councillor Parry is doing the Staffordshire Highways team a profound disservice by attacking their professionalism and dedication in this way. They have been out virtually every night and day since October."