Previous competitions to name our gritters have proved incredibly popular, resulting in winter roads being made safer by vehicles called Lewis Caploughdi, Salt Disnae, Oh Plougher of Scotland and Spready Mercury, among many more inspired suggestions.

However, this year the council has refreshed its fleet, and among the new vehicles are eight gritters without names.

The council is therefore offering children in p4 to P7 classes across South Lanarkshire the chance to ensure that, when these new gritters make their debut on our winter roads later this year, each one can proudly display its name.

All names must, of course, have a wintry aspect but imaginations can take flight in combining that with, for instance, a favourite celebrity or catchphrase. Creativity is best, though, so entrants are warned that Gritty McGritface will not make the grade.

Eight winning children will have their picture taken with their named gritter and will be able to follow its travels on the council’s public gritter-tracker whenever it is called into action.

Entries will be collected by schools and will be sent in to Council HQ on the closing date of Friday, 30 May, so get thinking – there’s snow time to waste!