GRITTER drivers have been verbally abused and pelted with snowballs during the winter season after being forced to do the job with “one hand behind their backs”, a source has claimed.

The Reporter understands workers have been shouted at on the street and criticised on social media because they haven’t been able to enter roads with cars lined on either side.

Man-hours had been cut under the previous Labour-led council administration – a reduction in the service that has not been reversed by the current SNP administration.

It has meant that, while at one point there were six trucks covering Dumbarton, there are now just four trucks.

A source at the council told the Reporter of how drivers have tried their best in the circumstances but they have had snowballs thrown at them and come under fire in online comments.

The vehicles used by the council to cover the roads are not specialised gritters but multi-purpose vehicles, meaning all drivers have to be skilful behind the wheel.

Leven councillor Jim Bollan said cuts to the service “have culminated in our winter gritting service not being fit for purpose” and insisted it’s wrong the drivers take the flack for it.

He said: “They reduced the service and they reduced the number of routes from eight to seven. The SNP administration inherited the cuts and didn’t change it.

“We used to pre-grit based on the weather forecasts.

“We don’t do that now, it’s wrong that the workers are getting stick for it.

“This is a policy decision, that they’re being forced to grit with one hand behind their backs.

“If we had a proper policy in place and funded the winter gritting programme properly, I’m quite certain that would take the workers out of the firing line from the public.”

Meanwhile, Councillor David McBride has urged West Dunbartonshire Council to “learn lessons” from the difficult winter.

He said: “The service provided in previous years may have proved sufficient but clearly this year has been difficult on occasions, I have already contacted senior officers to review and learn lessons from this year.”

However, Dumbarton councillor Jonathan McColl, council leader, said: “Our gritting staff do a difficult job and they put in a damned good shift.

“On the worst days we had multiple teams on shift to keep all of our gritters working 20 hours a day to try and keep the primary and secondary routes moving.

“Regardless, there is never any excuse for being abusive to council staff, or anyone for that matter. Some adults’ behaviour is worse than kids in the playground.

“We are looking at the individual budgets of every service provided by the council and this new information will be fed into that process.”

A spokeswoman for West Dunbartonshire Council said: “Nobody should have to face abuse when they are carrying out their job and we would encourage employees to report such incidents to their manager and the police.

“Our teams have been working night and day to grit the road and footways network and we would like to reiterate that there are occasions when particularly bad weather limits the effectiveness of the grit.

“We would also like to make it clear that budget adjustments have had no impact on the frequency that main roads are treated, as more efficient processes have been implemented.”