The UK’s motorists need to take steps to combat the effects of road salt on their vehicles, according to Autoglym.

The car care company has issued the warning after one of the UK’s coldest spells in living memory led to unusually high levels of grit laid down on the country’s roads.

An average of 60,000 tonnes of salt were deposited across the UK’s road surfaces over recent weeks and could affect paintwork and exterior trim, Autoglym warns.

Paul Caller, Autoglym chief executive, said: "Road salt can speed the corrosion of unprotected paintwork, as well as damage exposed plastic and rubber surfaces."

He added that a thorough wash, followed by wax or polish is the way to avoid the build up of salt, with unusually high amounts still on the road surfaces.

So much road salt was deposited that at one point it was feared councils may run out of grit, prompting the Department for Transport to reduce grit spreading by 25 per cent.

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