Havering residents get a little taste of the big freeze that is set to come

Josh Milton, 17 from Hornchurch took this picture on Monday while taking his dog out for a walk (Image: Archant)

Residents woke up on Monday to a light dusting despite warnings that arctic weather conditions would wreak havoc in the borough.

Gritters

Rise Park resident Colin Grainger, the former editor of the Recorder’s sister paper the Newham Recorder, was surprised at the lack of snow. He wrote on Facebook: “Is that it? Front page warning today ... Don’t go out unless your journey is necessary! Careful, you might enjoy yourself. Welcome back to health and safety gone mad UK.”

Havering Council heeded warnings of a cold snap and sent out gritters from last Friday.

Cllr Barry Tebbutt, cabinet member for the environment, said: “We’ve had four gritters out and about since Friday evening laying about 16 tonnes of grit each night to keep the borough moving.

“We grit the roads and pavements in priority order and are only gritting the main roads and emergency routes at the moment.”

‘Ixon’ wrote on website Streetlife: “No problems here in the south of the borough. It was only a little dusting all washed away in the rain.”

Despite the lack of snow, residents still sent in their winter pictures.

Josh Milton, 17, from Craigdale Road, Hornchurch, took a picture of a plant covered in snow.

He said: “I was walking my dog in the park and I saw it and thought it would make a good picture. I love the snow, it doesn’t snow often in this country, so when it comes it’s always a surprise.”

Peter Barrett sent in photographs of the scene outside his home in Grey Towers Gardens, and in Hylands Park, both in Hornchurch, using the Recorder’s photosharing website, iwitness.

He said: “I was taking my dog out for a walk. There wasn’t a lot of snow but it looked really nice.”

Snow has been predicted tomorrow (Friday) with some areas seeing up to six inches.