Yesterday my neighbour helped us clear our driveway and even continued on to clearing the surrounding pavements and roads. It struck me because of his kind and unconditional helpfulness towards his neighbour and the rest of the community - his motivation I believe was the kids coming and going in the area, one of which was his daughter. He wanted to keep the area safe for them and avoid slipping.

Department for Transport recently published new guidance about clearing snow outside your property, pathways to your property or public spaces. The guidance essentially says there is no law stopping you from doing this, but provides useful tips on the best ways to avoid accidents and slipping.  

'If an accident did happen, it's highly unlikely that you would be sued as long as you are careful and use common sense to make sure that you don't make the pavement or pathway clearly more dangerous than before. People using areas affected by snow and ice also have responsibility to be careful themselves.'

If you are going to remove snow and ice, here are the basic tips provided by the Department:

• start as early as possible - it's much easier to clear fresh, loose snow compared to compacted ice that has been compressed by people walking on it

• don’t use hot water - this will melt the snow, but may replace it with black ice, increasing the risk of injury

• be a good neighbour - some people may be unable to clear snow and ice on paths from their property

• if shovelling snow, think where you are going to put it so that it doesn’t block people’s paths or drainage channels

• make a pathway down the middle of the area to be cleared first, so you have a clear surface to walk on

• spreading some salt on the area you have cleared will help stop ice forming - table salt or dishwasher salt will work, but avoid spreading on plants or grass as they may be damaged by it

• pay particular care and attention to steps and steep gradients

• use the sun to your advantage - removing the top layer of snow will allow the sun to melt any ice beneath; however you will need to cover any ice with salt to stop it refreezing overnight

• if there's no salt available, sand or ash are good alternatives

  Have you seen any endearing neighbourly acts since the snow has blocked people in? Have you helped your neighbours in this time of hibernation? Tell us your story.