WIREDGOV

With temperatures falling to below freezing in some parts of the country, households are being urged to be alert and ensure vulnerable friends, neighbours and relatives are safe, while council teams work around the clock to grit thousands of miles of roads.

The Local Government Association, which represents more than 370 local authorities - that have responsibility for public health - is urging people to show extra vigilance, especially in the North West, North East, West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions, following a Met Office cold weather warning.

In particular, councils want residents to look out for people who live alone – estimated to be more than half (51 per cent) of people aged 75 and over.

Latest government figures show deaths in the winter of 2014 were the highest since the turn of the century – with almost 44,000 excess winter deaths.

Illnesses such as influenza and pneumonia were the underlying causes of death in many cases.

Meanwhile, local authorities have stockpiled 1.2 million tonnes of salt to prepare for winter. Gritters will be out treating thousands of miles of roads whenever overnight temperatures drop below zero in the coming days.

Council teams are on standby to help with everything from carrying out emergency household repairs like defrosting pipes and fixing frozen boilers to delivering hot meals and portable heaters, and will be checking in on elderly and vulnerable residents to make sure they are okay.

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, LGA Community Wellbeing spokesperson, said:

"There were almost 44,000 excess winter deaths in England and Wales in 2014. Most were aged over 75, and some of their deaths could have been avoided with better preparation for cold weather.

"As the freeze sets in we need everyone in our communities to be on the look-out for signs that something might be wrong. Whether it be milk bottles left outside, newspapers stuck in the letterbox or curtains drawn all day, any sort of unusual activity could be a sign that something is wrong and that someone is in need of help.

"We are well prepared for the cold with 1.2 million tonnes of salt stockpiled and a fleet of state-of-the-art gritters ready to be deployed. As well as gritting our roads and clearing snow, councils are out there working extra hard and pulling out all the stops to ensure vital help and support is provided to the needy and vulnerable."