North Yorkshire-based Econ Engineering, which makes winter maintenance vehicles, has embarked on a UK tour, with its ‘golden gritter’ — built to mark its 50th year in business — visiting local authorities and communities around the country (www.econengineering.com).

Econ’s factory in Ripon supplies 80% of the winter maintenance vehicles used on Britain’s roads.

The firm employs more than 200 people and is the UK’s largest producer of gritters and road-mending vehicles; it has a hire fleet of more than 750 vehicles.

‘Goldie’ is making a series of guest appearances at the seasonal events held by local authorities to showcase their preparations for winter on the roads.

So far it has visited Cambridge and attended Ceredigion County Council’s gritter drivers’ training day at Aberystwyth.

Its next stop will be Kent County Council’s winter maintenance day on 15 October, followed by a public display of gritters and snow ploughs at Keevil Airfield in Wiltshire on 19 October.

It will then head north for a Transport Scotland event on 6 November.

Econ sales director Andrew Lupton (www.econ.uk.com) said: “Goldie’s tour of Britain is a fantastic way to mark the strong relationship we have with our local-authority and contractor clients across the country.

“Manufactured at our high-tech factory in North Yorkshire by our skilled workforce, this unique vehicle causes quite a stir among gritter fans far and wide.

“Hopefully lots more people will have the chance to see Goldie as it makes its way across Britain — a golden gritter isn’t something you see every day.”