The first gritters of the winter will be out in force this evening, as road surface temperatures are set to drop below freezing.

Kent County Council has confirmed main routes throughout the county will be treated from 10pm.

Forecasters say there is a risk of ice and a hoar frost in some areas, particularly in the west of the county.

Last winter Kent bore the brunt of the Beast from the East, which dumped up to 15 inches of snow on the county, causing widespread travel disruption and forcing hundreds of schools to close.

Officials say contingency plans are in place to prevent a repeat of those chaotic scenes and are stockpiling 27,000 tonnes of salt tonnes of salt as a contingency.

The council's 65 gritting vehicles also took part in a dry run along key routes on Friday in preparation for the colder weather, as Poppy Jeffery reports.