BBC Radio Presenter’s Name Given to Council Gritter

A BBC radio personality expressed his appreciation for a local government’s choice to dedicate a gritter in his honor. Cumberland Council designated one of its vehicles, responsible for distributing salt on winter roads, with the name of Mike Zeller, the breakfast show presenter for BBC Radio Cumbria. Upon the unveiling of the name, Mike humorously remarked that ‘Mike Zeller Ice Dispeller’ “does exactly what it says on the side of the gritter.” This particular name was selected through a competition organized by the council, which invited the public to suggest names for five vehicles within its 20-unit fleet. The chosen names are scheduled to be displayed for a period of four years. Mike stated that upon being contacted by the council, he felt “utterly flattered and taken aback.” He further commented, “It was lovely, I am genuinely touched by it and, I have to say, my family are as well.” He attributed this recognition to the rapport his program had established “when it comes to getting the all-important winter safety messages out.” Other successful entries, announced during a broadcast, included Gritter Spitter, Control Salt Delete, Luke Grittler, and La’al Salty. Cumberland Council received over 100 submissions for the competition. Karl Melville, the council’s assistant director of transport, and Labour councillor Denise Rollo assisted in the selection of the winning names. Mr. Melville noted that the public frequently assumes streets will be safe for driving, and the competition aimed to acknowledge the diligent efforts of the staff. He stated, “These amazing people we have on as our staff go out there day in, day out, regardless of the forecast and treat out network to make it safe for everybody else.” Councillor Rollo commented, “It’s been absolutely amazing the amount of names we had coming in – there’s been some really good names, so it was fairly tough choosing winners.”