Family spread cheer (and grit) as they clear Pontefract estate of ice and snow

Graham and daughter Nicole, 17, spread the grit while mum Helen drove. (photo supplied by Paul Ruckledge)

Helen and Graham Taylor spent over £60 in Wickes, then spent hours driving around and spreading the salt they bought across the roads and paths on the Monkhill estate after plummeting temperatures left them in a treacherous condition.

Father-of-four Mr Taylor said: "It was so dangerous, there was black ice on the roads and you couldn't walk on the paths.

"We could see people looking out of their windows wondering what we were doing. If we saw an elderly people come out of their house we would stop and help them.

"It's the first time we have done it. We tried to get as much as the pavement as we could but we mainly focused on the roads."

While main routes are gritted by the council, side roads and estates are not usually included on regular routes.

So using Helen's estate car, she drove slowly around the estate with the tailgate open while Graham and their 17-year-old daughter, Nicole, sat in the back spreading the grit as they went.

Graham added: "We were just sat with the bags of grit between us throwing it out the back of the car was going at about 2mph.

"I think that's what got us all the attention. People were driving past us waving and giving us the thumbs up."

And there was no shortage of people taking to Facebook to show their appreciation for the family's efforts.

Nadine Garbutt Roebuck said: "How wonderful are these people? Hearts of gold."

Angela Bailey added: "There is still community spirit out there! Well done."

Tanya Stocks commented: "Just goes to show there's still a lot of good people about, thinking of others."

Former forces man, Graham, 48, suffers from PTSD and is disabled but said helping to clear the roads has assisted his own mental health.

He added: "I don't have that much to do and little things like that gets me out of the house and helps me, I feel good about myself when I try to help others.

"My dad always taught me that instead of moaning about something, do it yourself.

"If you've got time to moan, then you've time to muck in and help."