GRIT and salt in cold weather prevents injury or, in extreme cases, death.

As a retired health and safety professional, I would suggest even the most basic risk assessment would show that the removal of the facility to grit icy areas, as is being proposed by North Yorkshire County Council (D&S Times, Nov 27), to be irresponsible.

The Government is trying to persuade us that more controls should be moved to local government, but this standard of decision-making shows a serious level of irresponsibility – particularly when, in spite of protestations, the county council holds a substantial sum of money “in reserve”.

In industry, management can be prosecuted for lack of effort to maintain a safe work environment. Why do councillors think that their decisions do not also have to take the same care for the safety of the community?

I would bet the same councillors would not agree to remove fire extinguishers, or similar safety equipment from their offices or debating chamber.

Passing responsibility for the grit bins to the parish councils just raises the price by the fragmenting of the activity.

Dick Twomey, Catterick Village