Grit 'theft' farmer quizzed by police

67-year-old Horace Stronge (right) of Mullan Road said if the Roads Service had gritted the minor road he would not have had to take grit from the yard at Market Street at the height of the big freeze.

Mr Stronge said when a milk collection lorry was unable to safely turn off the Mullan Road into his property he lost 360 worth of milk and in a bid to ensure it would not happen again he set off for the Roads Service depot on Monday December 28.

It is understood a number of people went to the yard seeking salt to treat roads.

Mr Stronge said when he asked to take some salt he was told he could not but proceeded to do so “for the safety of road users” at Mullan Road and to ensure collections could be made from his yard.

But the police were contacted and he later received a visit from an officer.

Mr Stronge told the Times: “I had a problem getting my milk lifted as the lorry could not safely make it in and out of my yard onto the road.

“I had done my own yard with sand and had no more to do the road and I went to the depot on the Monday and asked them for the salt.

“They said I could not get it and when I took it they sent out the police. When the police came to my house they could see the salt on the road. I was cautioned but don’t know if I will be prosecuted or not but this is hanging over me.

“I believe that after I was at the Roads Service yard they actually did leave salt out nearby for people to collect. I was doing this for the safety of not only the milk lorry driver and to aid the safety of other people using the Mullan Road to ensure the lorry did not go out of control and hit somebody else and as far as I am concerned it is a disgrace that I was reported to the police for theft and that they are wasting their time pursuing this.

“If Road Service had gritted the road I would not have needed to get the salt myself.

“Have police nothing better to do? I will fight this the whole way. Salt was removed from the Roads Service yard but it was for the greater good and I want to highlight that farmers on minor roads which are not on official gritting routes had to fend for themselves and then the police get involved,” said Mr Stronge.

A Roads Service spokesperson confirmed: “There was an incident involving a member of the public which is being dealt with by the PSNI."

And a PSNI spokesman told the Times: “We had a call from the Roads Service on December 28 regarding an allegation of theft of salt from their yard. A man was spoken to and it is a live investigation.”

Meanwhile, there were unconfirmed reports that individuals seeking salt from the Roads Service depot in Ballymoney made use of a hole which appeared in a wall.

A Roads Service spokesperson only said: “A hole appeared in the wall when it was accidentally struck while grit was being delivered to the depot.”