Shortlist for Shropshire gritter names revealed - and, yes Gritty Mcgritface is in there!

As the county prepares for winter, Shropshire Council is getting its gritters ready and asked the public for help naming the fleet.

More than 500 names were put forward and the council has whittled it down to just 48 - including Grit the Road Jack, Gritney Spears, Usain Salt and Grit Expectations.

And Gritty McGritface even made the list despite the portfolio holder for highways and transport, Councillor Steve Davenport warning it would be unlikely.

The 25 gritters, plus five reserve vehicles, are located at the council’s five highways depots across the county.

These are supported by nine footway ploughs, nine snow blowers and a team of contractors and farmers with snow clearing equipment.

One of the gritters has already been named after four-year-old Zac Oliver.

The Broseley youngster has an extremely rare form of childhood leukaemia, called Near Haploid, and needs to travel to the US for treatment unavailable on the NHS.

Zac and his mother, Hannah Oliver-Willetts, recently visited Shropshire Council's highways depot at Longden Road, Shrewsbury, so he could see and sit in the gritter that bears his name.

Two other names on the shortlist - Jack Edwards and Charlie Desmond, also have a special meaning.

Favourite

The name Jack Edwards was put forward in memory of the seven-year-old from Cleobury Mortimer who died after a battle with leukaemia.

He was first diagnosed with the disease when he was just three years old, passed away in 2016 after his cancer returned once again following intensive chemotherapy.

The nomination said Jack, who attended Cleobury Mortimer Primary School, was an 'inspiration to the local community'.

Charlie Desmond, who suffered from muscular dystrophy, died three years ago at the age of 15 and was described as 'such a brave boy' in his nomination.

The public has just four days to vote online for their favourite names.

The winning names will then be put on the gritting lorries in time for winter.

Voting closes at 9am on Friday and the winners will be announced later that day.

To vote visit shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved/name-the-gritters#5bcdaf1e6e0a7

The shortlist in full:

• Gritter Garbo

• Gritty Gritty Bang Bang

• Spready Salted

• Salty

• Grit the Road Jack

• Thor

• Wilfred Snowen

• Gritzilla

• Charlie Desmond

• Chairman Plough

• Rocksalt N Roll

• Eartha Grit

• Harry Potter the Ice Stopper

• Grit Expectations

• Frosty the Snow Van

• Salt Disney

• Snow Patrol

• David Plowie

• Rudolph

• El Gritterino

• Camilla Ice

• Gritney Spears

• Jack Edwards

• Bob

• Usain Salt

• Blizzard Wizard

• Rule Gritannia

• Snowel Edmonds

• Brad Grit

• Gritty Mcgritface

• Nicole Saltslinger

• Snowy

• Ready Spready Go

• Basil Salty

• Jack Frost

• Phillip Snowfield

• Gertrude

• Nitty Gritty

• Gritti Politti

• Olaf

• Spready Mercury

• Walter the Salter

• Elsa

• Grittersaurus Rex

• Frosty

• Captain Grit

• Shrew Grit

• Slushy