A snow plough went off the road during gritting operations in Tuesday’ snow.

The vehicle, with a crew of two on board, went into a ditch on the old largs Road near Brisbane glen as the area was hit by blizzards.

The driver has been praised for his quick-thinking which prevented the lorry rolling over completely. Pictures showing the gritter off the road were taken by Scott Penny who encountered the incident just past the North Ayrshire boundary.

Speaking to the ‘News’, Scott said: “I had decided to head back over the glen road from Greenock and came across the driver just up the road from the truck.

“He had intended to turn around further up the road, but there was a good three inches of snow up there and it was difficult to see where the road edges are.

As a result, the front wheel went over the edge of the road.

“The driver’s reaction time is the only thing that stopped the lorry from rolling over as he managed to stop it quickly. He had to use my phone to call his office as his work phone and radio had no signal.

"I headed into Inverkip and got them a tea, and not long after I arrived back, a recovery truck arrived and lifted them back out onto the road.” Scott said that the incident showed the courage of the crew during difficult conditions.

He added: “It just goes to show how brave the drivers are heading out in this weather.” And after being thanked for helping out, Scott said: “I’d like to think someone would do the same for me if had been in the same situation.”