With the milder winters we had in the past, any snow we got disappeared pretty quickly so it never seemed worth clearing snow ourselves. But in the past few years we have had snow followed by prolonged freezing conditions. When the snow gets walked down and re-freezes, that's when we get all this ice.

Can I make a plea to all able bodied SE23 residents - if there is snow and there is no thaw forecast, please get a shovel and clear a path on the pavement outside your property. It doesn't have to be the whole pavement, just enough to make an ice-free walkway. Once you've cleared it, sprinkle the area with table salt. This will stop further ice forming.

This is what people always did in the past. The idea that you will get sued if someone hurts themselves outside your property is a MYTH for the following reasons:
1. People are much less likely to get hurt where snow has been cleared.
2. There is no point in suing private individuals for such liability, unless that private individual is very, very rich. The plaintiff also needs some cash in the bank, as they won't get Legal Aid for bringing such a case.
3. A representative from the Law Society has said that no solicitor would take on such a case, and the idea is all just media bruhaha.

This also applies to shops, doctors' surgeries, schools, etc. Clear the snow where you can.

I'll be out there with my shovel the next time we get snow, and I urge all others who are able to do the same. Thirty minutes work will save weeks of slipping and sliding.