Thieves have been cashing in by stealing grit from county council bins in Ashford and selling it door-to-door to residents desperate to clear their paths and driveways.

The bin bandits have been condemned as "unscrupulous" by Ashford Central county councillor Elizabeth Tweed who used some of her own personal fund to buy new bins to make sure supplies were available.

Grit costs up to £9 for a 25kg bag from DIY stores and garden centres and Cllr Tweed said: "We've had people taking the salt and trying to sell it back to people. There's always someone unscrupulous who will take advantage."

Cllr Tweed said there were always those "unscrupulous people" who would take advantage of the situation.

She said: "We've had people taking the grit and trying to sell it back to people.

"I'd heard that someone had knocked on the door of a highway inspector, who realised what he was up to, but when he told them they just turned and fled. There's always someone unscrupulous who will take advantage."

Cllr Tweed said her donation for more bins had made it possible for a consultant, a doctor and two nurses at the William Harvey Hospital to get to work when they were unable to earlier in the year. A 25kg bag of grit costs between £6 and £9, depending where it is bought from.

There are about 100 grit/salt bins around the borough.

Cllr Tweed added: "The grit also allowed meals on wheels to get along the roads and a pharmacy van to get up to patients.

"I was quite pleased to have had such good feedback from the residents, many of whom used the salt bins, and it really engendered that neighbourly spirit."

Kent County Council highways spokesman John Todd said yesterday: "The salt bins are there to help all road users, including pedestrians. Residents may use the salt to treat ice and snow on small areas of the road or pathways.

"It is not for use on private drives or paths."