With the Met Office warning that the current cold weather conditions are set to continue into the weekend, one London council is asking anyone aware of an elderly or vulnerable person living alone to pay them a visit to make sure they are comfortable and safe.
Wandsworth Council is advising residents to keep warm and active and has been proactively gritting borough streets and pavements to keep them free of ice and snow.
Council bosses say they have a crew of 48 staff with 11 gritting and snow clearance vehicles on standby 24 hours a day to deal with extreme weather with another 275 staff are on hand to help if conditions become more serious.
The council’s Head of Operational Services, Kevin Power said “We receive regular weather warnings from the Met office and are confident that we are prepared for what lies ahead.”
The cold weather has coincided with an early spread of the flue virus. The NHS is calling for more people to take up the flu-jab and are warning that people aged 65 or over and anyone with asthma, diabetes, a chronic heart, chest or kidney condition or any other serious illness are particularly vulnerable.
To find out more, call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47, or visit www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk or www.dh.gov.uk
