A top-up delivery of grit to help roads in Horsforth, Wharfedale and Aireborough stay clear during snowy weather has been diverted to other parts of the country.

Leeds City Council had been expecting to receive 5,000 tonnes of additional grit yesterday but the material was instead sent to other authorities whose needs were judged to be greater.

The authority had feared that might happen after the Government took over control of national salt supplies, and so last week announced it would be scaling down gritting to cover only main routes in a bid to preserve its grit stocks.

But City Council leader Councillor Andrew Carter still reacted angrily to the decision, branding it "infuriating and unfair".

It means the city, which started the winter with some 21,000 tonnes of salt, now only has about 4,000 tonnes left - which could spell serious trouble if another prolonged cold spell descends.

Metro (West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive) chairman and ward Councillor Ryk Downes (Lib Dem, Otley and Yeadon) said: "If 5,000 tonnes has gone elsewhere then on the one hand I can understand it, given the need to try to keep the country moving.

"But the key issue here is that we started this year with 21,000 tonnes and planned it all properly and thought we'd be safe, and we have been keeping all the main roads and, until recently, even the side roads, open.

"If other councils had bought as much in advance as we had then there wouldn't have been this panic because we could have got our top-up delivery as ordered and been fine.

"We're effectively being punished because other councils didn't plan ahead."

Although the area, like the country, seems to now be easing out of the three-week cold snap, Leeds City Council is wary of being caught short should the bad weather return, and so has taken a decision to focus on its 800-mile long primary road network - and will be unable to salt footways, grit secondary routes or refill grit bins until the grit stock situation changes.

Household rubbish collections, meanwhile, are starting to return to normal after being hit badly due to the snowy weather. Leeds City Council is giving the following advice: "Please present your bins on their scheduled collection day, where it is safe for you to do so.

"If your black or green bin is not emptied by 6pm on your normal collection day you should return it to your property and put it out on your next collection day along with any excess waste which will be taken by the normal crew."