Meet 'Chris Gritty', TfL's tribute to England's chief medical officer

The name was chosen in tribute to chief medical officer Chris Whitty, who has become a household name as one of the leading figures in the government's fight against Covid-19.

Transport for London (TfL) has invested in the new gritter at its Acton Road depot in Harlesden to keep the cycle networks clear of snow and ice.

A new gritter in Harlesden's TfL depot has been called Chris Gritty (Image: TfL)

Glynn Barton, TfL’s director of network management, said: “Our team works around the clock to make sure that our road network is clear of snow and ice and ready for people to use safely, whatever the weather.

"Our cycle network has grown so much recently that we've bought an extra gritter and following a staff competition to name one of our new gritting machines, ‘Chris Gritty’ has now joined our fleet.

"Chris and the rest of our gritters will be playing a vital role in ensuring that people who need to make essential journeys or exercise can do so during the cold weather.”

New cycle gritter Chris Gritty doing a round (Image: TfL)

TfL has a total of 39 road gritters, all of which are low emission and can be fitted with ploughs, as well as gritting quad-bikes and flatbed trucks to keep the roads and pavements clear.