Somerset Council is challenging schools across Wells, Shepton and Glastonbury to outdo last year's winners — Gritty Gritty Bang Bang and Spready Mercury — by naming two new gritters joining the fleet.

With winter approaching, the council and contractor Kier are preparing for freezing spells. They want pupils to submit their wittiest, punniest names by 7 November. A shortlist will then be drawn up and the public invited to vote for the winners.

Last year, Brymore Academy's Gritty Gritty Bang Bang and West Pennard Primary's Spready Mercury beat hundreds of entries in a public poll. The winners got a special visit from "their" gritter — a reward this year's winners can hope to receive too.

Councillor Richard Wilkins, lead member for Transport and Digital, said: "Last year's entries were brilliant with inventive pun‑tastic ideas. It's a great way for local children to get involved in naming the road gritters and learn more about road safety in the winter."

Tom Stockley, Operations Manager at Kier Transportation, added: "Gritting helps keep roads safe by spreading rock salt to prevent ice and snow build‑up, giving tyres better grip. With temperatures falling, gritters will begin trial runs soon and be deployed when forecasts fall below around 0.5 °C."

The naming competition will be open to all Somerset schools. After submissions close, council and Kier will choose finalists and open up voting to the public. The winning names will be used on two gritters placed on the roads this winter.

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