Sir – I too was “appalled” by the state of the roads and pavements during our recent cold snap (Letters, December 31). Living in the city didn’t seem to improve our chances of seeing a gritter.

In fact our estate (Barton) was so bad that on the first Sunday of the freeze we could not step outside our own front gate.

I rang the council and was then given the runaround as to who I needed to talk to about gritting (or the complete lack of it), including a phone number which turned out to be the police!

Eventually I did get through to the relevant desk and was told the gritters were going out later that day and would be gritting hills and bus routes. I told them that all our side roads and pavements needed attention too and was told they would make a note of it.

Needless to say, our estate saw no gritters — at all. Burchester Avenue, a main thoroughfare to the local shops and a hill, had to take its chances as did the rest of the estate.

When we had the snow and ice early in 2009 I was unable to reach work for three days because the car wouldn’t move; the buses did not come beyond Headington roundabout until nearly midday and I could not negotiate the subways which became (and stayed) ice slides.

I work for the NHS and had to take these hours as annual leave, or make up for them at some later time.

Less than 20 years ago, when I first moved here, I can remember all the roads (and pavements) being gritted as soon as a freeze was forecast.

The council is always admonishing us to leave our cars at home and take the bus, walk or cycle, so surely they should be making sure it is safe for us to do so.

Lynn Gardiner (Mrs), Oxford