WORKERS responsible for road maintenance in Dorset have moved into a £1.75 million depot.

Dorset Works Organisation (DWO), the contracting division of Dorset County Council, has opened the state-of-the-art base at Gibbs Marsh, near Stalbridge.

Councillor Angus Campbell, county council environment spokesman, opened the new depot in a ceremony with staff and county council director of environmental services Miles Butler.

Coun Campbell said: "This is a top class facility, and I am sure it will help us continue to provide an excellent roads and grounds maintenance service for the people of Dorset."

The depot, which was largely built by DWO staff, replaces the outdated facility at Longburton.

Staff at DWO are in charge of maintaining roads and grounds across Dorset, from roadworks to gritting during the winter.

Mr Butler said: "The significant investment in this new state-of-the-art facility underlines the county council's commitment to providing modern, cost-effective services to the Dorset public."

The county council has hailed the new base as environmentally-friendly and more cost-effective for taxpayers.

The depot contains a 4,000- tonne salt storage dome, modern offices and a reed bed disposal system to treat gully sludge in an environmentally- friendly way.

Mr Butler said: "The new depot has enabled us to rationalise our winter maintenance operations into one location, and provide improved storage space for out essential highway and grounds maintenance operations in the north of the county. We are proud that the vast majority of the depot was designed and built by county council employees, a testament to the expertise we have at our disposal."

Site agent Adrian Norcombe, DWO head Andrew Martin and DWO area manager Martin Hill also attended the opening ceremony.