SUN-SEEKERS basking in the warmest weather of the year so far were amazed yesterday when a GRITTER appeared on the streets of a Cornish resort.
The yellow HGV - last seen in the depths of winter - was spotted spraying the roads in Newquay where it was a balmy 21 degrees.
The machines are sometimes used in summer to shed a powdery substance called 'cracker dust' which stops road surfaces being damaged by the heat.
One bemused onlooker said: "You get some unusual vehicles down here with all the convertibles and camper vans but you don't expect to see a gritter in June. It seemed to be covering the road as though it was winter. Perhaps the council's weathermen know something the rest of us don't."
Cornwall Council said the vehicle was depositing a protective dust rather than rock salt.
A spokeswoman said: "The highway surface had recently been re-laid and newly laid road surfaces can become affected by excessive heat.
"In line with normal practice, the vehicle - used as a gritting lorry in the winter - was 'dusting down' the road to prevent the surface from becoming affected by the heat".
