SWANSEA is running out of salt supplies as the county braces itself for a week of sub-zero temperatures, according to a council insider.

He claimed stocks were at crisis levels and the authority was operating hand to mouth.

He said salt levels remained extremely low despite extra deliveries to the depot last night.

The source said three deliveries were made yesterday, but that was not even enough to grit the main routes twice.

He said: "We cannot get enough salt. There is demand everywhere, but someone has not done their sums right.

"On Monday morning we were down to the last 20 tonnes but we had to keep that for emergencies only.

"Gritting the main roads takes about 52 tonnes. We would not have had enough grit to do two runs."

The source told the Post late last night that help had arrived as lorries bringing in much needed supplies rolled into the Clydach depot.

He said: "We were running critical, but we're not out of the woods yet."

When the Post originally approached Swansea Council it said there was not a problem with grit supplies.

It could not say how much grit it had or how many days it would last.

After further probing a spokesman said: "Currently our gritting stocks are being prioritised for keeping main roads open and for emergencies."

The council also failed to respond to a request for the Post to send a photographer to snap their stockpile.

The council source told the Post that people wanting salt have been turned away from the depot in Clydach as workers have been ordered to keep it for the mechanical gritters.

And there have also been complaints that the grit bins are empty in communities throughout the county.

Mark Feathers, of Edison Crescent, Clydach, was forced to walk nine miles to get to work at a care home in Penyrheol, as his road had not been gritted.

He said: "There was no salt in the grit box so I was unable to grit the road to get to work.

"I rung the council on New Year's Day but was told there was no grit available to go in it."

Temperatures dropped to -3c in Swansea last night with weather experts predicting the city could be as cold as -5c by Friday night.

Kara Morgan, aged 21, of Brunswick Street, had her car damaged after another vehicle slid into it.

She said: "I rang the helpline number and was told there was not enough grit and that only the main roads were being gritted."

A number of roads were closed last night due to the icy conditions, including the B4271 North Gower Road between Killay and Three Crosses and Sydney Street, between Eaton Road and Penfilia Road.

Both Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot councils said they had adequate supplies of salt.

In Carmarthenshire, head of street scene, David Hughes, said there was sufficient salt stocks.

"We have between three and seven days of salt left depending on weather conditions," he said.

Neath Port Talbot has "adequate" stocks to grit the main routes.

A spokeswoman said: "Due to severity of the weather the council has ordered further supplies of salt."