Bargain-hunting by Banbury Town Council will help motorists and pedestrians when frosty weather returns.

The council has bought nine extra grit bins for the town's most hazardous areas.

Highway maintenance is the responsibility of Oxfordshire County Council, but budget restrictions limited the purchase of grit bins, so town councillors took the decision to make the purchases.

Cllr Keiron Mallon, vice-chairman of the town's resources committee, said: "This is a new initiative for the council to show we can make a difference to the town through a relatively minor injection of funds.

"We negotiated a special discount price for the bins, almost a 'buy one get one free' deal.

"The bins have been allocated throughout the nine wards of the town, on the recommendations of the 22 town councillors.

"Conservative councillors promised that careful management of the town's finances would allow us to take on small but effective new projects.

"I hope this will become an annual feature so we can increase the number of grit bins until all the hazardous areas have one."

Two bins will be sited at Highlands, the remainder will be sited at Hastings Road, Wesley Drive, Lenton Road, Kingfisher Drive, Hightown Road, the junction of Middleton and Daventry Roads, and Mascord Road.