SIR — Has anyone else had a problem with grit lorries gritting roads and blasting the side of your car as you drive in the opposite direction?

I often ask myself if there are any controls in the cab which could be used to temporarily disable the grit spray in consideration to oncoming drivers and the paint work on their vehicles, or if the direction of the spay can be adjusted so I doesn't get thrown over everything coming the other way.

What is the council prepared to do if a windshield gets damaged or paintwork ruined?

Last Saturday night I was driving back from Taunton to Minehead at around 10pm and ended up following a grit lorry for half the journey with its warning lights flashing, gritting the road.

This was to my amazement as no frosty weather was forecast or even evident, it was not cold and it was raining.

To top it off, between Williton and Washford a gritter came the other way and covered the side of my car with grit, then a second lorry gritted the side of my car as I drove through Alcombe.

I think is outrageous that given the current financial situation and cutbacks government and councils are making, tax payers' money can be wasted full stop, let alone like this.

Gritting on a mild, rainy wet night for it just to be washed away or, worse, make the road unnecessarily slippery and increase the risk of accidents is just a no brainer surely?

Ollie Smith,

Alcombe Road,

Minehead.