FOUR-BY-FOUR drivers truly came into their own and kept Somerset moving when snow storms battered Somerset.

Selfless drivers ferried doctors, neurosurgeons, care workers and patients to appointments and helped stranded motorists across the county – towing everything from hatchbacks to HGVs.

On Sunday (March 4) more than 50 drivers packed the Morrisons car park in Taunton for a meet up and debrief after an exhausting few days of rescues and assistance.

Tim Gilbert, from Bridgwater, who works as a forklift engineer at the Morrisons Distribution Centre, found himself in his Ford Maverick helping people far and wide.

“I phoned Bridgwater Hospital on Thursday and offered my number if they needed help and the phone did not stop. I then saw Musgrove was struggling, too, and got in contact,” Mr Gilbert said.

“One day I transported a neurosurgeon from his house, another I gave a lift to was a woman from Glastonbury who was due in for a spinal operation. Because she had been given her pre-medication, it was important she was operated on that day.

“4x4 drivers have done a lot of good work but it highlights a problem the authorities have when dealing with snow.”

Stuart Laird, the chairman of Sedgemoor on the Levels, said his club, which has around 60 members, had been out helping people in Bridgwater, Taunton, Burnham-on-Sea, the Somerset Levels and Wells.

He said: “We have been out helping NHS staff, care workers and police. We are mainly a group of off-roaders but we have been appreciated for what we have done these past few days, the county would have ground to a halt without us.

“People with 4x4s have been out all hours helping people – it has damaged my truck but it is worth it to help people.”

In Bridgwater other drivers helped move HGVs so supermarket deliveries could be received, while many farmers helped clear routes with their tractors.

Emma Vearncombe, from Taunton 4x4, which has 2,400 members from across the region, said much of the communication had been done via ‘Buy and Sell’ pages on Facebook before drivers were sent to help.

She said: “We have more than 2,400 members. I have been looking at the local buy and sell pages and sharing posts onto our page as I know a lot of people were keen to help anyone who needed to get to places.

“We have had members take hospital staff to Musgrove, Yeovil, Bridgwater and Chard Hospitals. Members also took carers to home visits and care homes, as well as pick ups from A&E.

“I’ve also pointed people in the direction of hospital switchboards to get them to hand their contact details in if they’re available to help out. We had people all over Somerset and North Devon day and night, towing vehicles from cars to artic lorries.

“I am not taking credit for any of this, it is all down to the determination and skill of our members and we are so very proud. These guys have been a God send.”