SLEET or snow is expected to hit parts of Keighley district this evening, but fears that it will affect the evening rush hour are receding.

Forecasts earlier today warned of snowfall at around 6pm.

But the Met Office now predicts a 60 per cent chance of sleet showers from 9pm tonight, continuing into the early hours of the morning.

And Bradford Council's own forecasting service, based on local weather stations in Silsden and Queensbury, is expecting light snow showers turning to sleet from midnight.

A council spokesman said: "The council has gritted over 700 miles of its priority one highway network on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, and staff have been monitoring and treating high ground areas for the last two evenings.

"Conditions have been relatively dry so the network has a good covering of salt.

"From 8pm to 5am tonight, the night patrol will monitor and grit high ground and problem areas where needed.

"At 5am tomorrow, the priority one network will again be treated and gritters will run until they are no longer needed.

"Footpath teams will be out spreading salt from 5am tomorrow.

"The council will monitor the situation and revise its plans as conditions develop."

The council's priority one network refers to the roads the council grits first: this covers high volume trunk roads and those around schools, hospitals, isolated communities and ambulance, police and fire stations.

Once the priority one routes are treated, the council’s highways service begins to grit the rest of the district's roads.

Council gritters have already been out and about on high ground today in the Oxenhope, Denholme and Haworth areas, and also in Queensbury, Clayton, Allerton and Buttershaw.