People were asked to check on elderly and infirm neighbours tonight as snow arrived in Oxfordshire.

Dave Etheridge, Deputy Chief Fire Officer for Oxfordshire, said: "For those residents who are elderly or infirm, it's important to make contact with friends, family and neighbours today and let them know if you need anything.

"I'd also ask Oxfordshire residents who live near older people, or those with physical or other support needs, to pay them a visit tonight and let them know you're there."

Because of the severity of the snowfall, Oxfordshire County Council said it would focus its gritting operation on the most important routes in the county, including important A-roads - 29 per cent of the county's road network.

Councillor Rodney Rose, Oxfordshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Transport, said: "Our highways teams have worked hard to cover 43 per cent of the network since the cold snap started in mid December and there is nothing we would like more than to continue with that.

"However there is nothing unique about Oxfordshire in this national scenario, other parts of the country are in the same boat.

"While we are continuing to grit a large number of roads we will be gritting less routes until further notice and there will be no grit for salt bins and pavements. We want to make sure the main routes area as clear as possible in the snow.

"I would like to praise our highways teams who have worked many hours and covered many miles since the cold weather started in mid-December. They will continue to do so."

A council spokesman said: "Increasing restrictions upon national supplies of salt to local authorities and the fact that more grit is needed on roads affected by snow, as opposed to frost, means the council will move from its previous position of gritting 43 per cent of roads. Snowploughs will be in operation.

"The council has joined many other authorities across the country in husbanding its resources in the light of new information that only councils that are close to running out of salt will see stocks replenished.

"The supplier of salt to councils up and down the country is not meeting all of its contractual commitments to local authorities and is prioritising deliveries to those it considers most in need - it has not considered Oxfordshire to be a priority as yet.

"Whilst this is a frustration for Oxfordshire, which has planned well for the amount of salt needed, the immediate priority must be to keep the crucial routes across the county open."

The Highways Agency is responsible for gritting the M40 and A34.

The spokesman said the county council had gritted pavements 'when time and resources have permitted'. He added: "In common with many other areas of the country, gritting of pavements and grit for salt bins will now be discontinued until the national situation eases."

Keith Mitchell, the Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: "Our advice remains the same regardless of the number of roads treated by the council. It is simple advice that most people will intuitively deploy without the need for reminders from councils and that has served people well through many decades of bad winters.

"We would simply ask people to take extra care on icy paths and roads and stay away from water covered in ice. It is a common sense message that if people drive and walk to suit the conditions and take sensible judgements about whether journeys are necessary, the risk of accidents will be cut down.

"If there are elderly people living nearby, we would urge people to keep an eye out for them until this cold weather abates - although I am quite sure that those in older age groups have seen these types of conditions many times before and will know more than most what simple precautions to take.

"The county council will continue to do all it can to help and I have every confidence that people will meet us half way by collectively showing their community spirit, utilising their own community networks and individually acting responsibly and showing some good solid common sense."