Not again!

Treacherous conditions in the past week resulted in residents in the lower half of the private estate becoming stranded, and being forced to leave their cars on the road at the entrance to the park.

Now one resident, Chris Philson, says they are so frustrated that householders are forming a residents' association and will be considering whether or not to stop paying their rates as a mark of protest.

"We had this same problem last year with snow and ice, and it has started very early this year. We do have a salt box at the top of the park, but it is empty. Everybody on the street has been onto the Roads Service about it and if they could leave more salt it would be a great help.

"All we want is for them to keep a good supply in the box because when the people living at the top of the road empty it no one can get up the hill from the bottom," he said, adding: "We are going to start a residents group because this was an ongoing problem last year. People are starting to leave their cars at the top of the park again and along the road and last year a few cars got broken into. We are appealing to the good nature of Roads Service personnel to please leave us adequate salt supplies."

Mr Philson added: "We are planning a rates strike because we don't know what else to do. We have members of the emergency services living in the park who are effected, and, if there was an emergency at the bottom of the park emergency vehicles could not access those homes because it is impossible for any type of vehicle to get up or down the slope."

On Monday aspokeswoman for the Roads Service said: ""All of the salt bins in this area were filled just last week and Roads Service is filling them again today."

However Mr Philson said yesterday the salt bin was emptied as soon as it was filled and that it was inadequate, adding: "Getting the children out to school was a nightmare."