THE cold weather has returned this week, meaning council staff have been busy gritting the roads.

Hundreds of roads are included in the gritting routes for Southend, but did you several of the machines have their very own name?

It came about in 2020 when Southend Council and contractor Veolia held a public vote to name the gritters.

More than 100 suggestions had been made by residents, with the best whittled down during a poll on social media.

The three winning names were:

• Grit Me Baby One More Time

• Brad Grit

• Thaw Enforcement

The machines were called into action last February when heavy snow left Southend and most of Essex covered in the white stuff for more than a week.

Speaking about the vote-off in 2020, Veolia’s regional manager Chris Smiles said he hoped it would remind people of the staff working to keep the town’s roads safe and usable.

He said: “We are delighted that so many people took part in the competition. We hope that, thanks to the public poll and the social media campaign, Southend residents know a bit more about our gritting team that is working hard to make sure our roads and pavements are safe in the morning.

“Keep an eye out on cold nights and you might spot Grit Me Baby One More Time, Brad Grit or Thaw Enforcement in the area.”

If you want to know if your road is on the council’s gritting route, a full list is available here.