Dad's anger over 'death trap' potholes
A VILLAGER has blasted the state of rural roads claiming deep potholes pose a "death trap".
Father of three, Gary Ward, 44, lives in Dalton Piercy, on the outskirts of Hartlepool, and said the roads between the village and nearby Elwick are plagued by deep holes.
He said: "The closer you get to Dalton Piercy the worse the potholes are getting. It's horrendous."
"There's crumbling surfaces and vehicles are being forced on to the verge."
Gary, who drives an MG ZTT and a motorbike, said that drivers are also moving on to the other side of the road to prevent damaging their cars, but on the narrow winding lane they could easily be met by another vehicle or horse rider.
He said: "I have got a car with alloy wheels and low pressure suspension and I'm seriously thinking about getting a 4x4.
"I have just had to replace the back suspension on my car. I can't say for definite it was the road but it certainly does not help."
Gary, who has lived in the village for seven years and is a former parish councillor, said the road is the main route for buses, including school transport, and caravans also have to negotiate it to get to Ashfield Caravan Park.
Mr Ward, of the village's College Close, said: "This road has been a matter of concern for years due to its width, condition, high volume of traffic and the growing number of horses that use it.
"It is now fast becoming a death trap."
Gary, who is married to Liz Ward, 41, a teacher, said the road from the Hart bypass to Dalton/Elwick crossroads is also so bad many people have stopped using it.
And he said that although the road past the village's Windmill Pub has seen some repairs, Dalton Back Lane, heading towards the A689 and Greatham, is also substandard.
The father of twins, James and Isabel, two, and Matthew, five, said he has noticed back lanes across Hartlepool being resurfaced and he feels the tax paying residents of Dalton Piercy have just as much right to see repairs done.
He said he wants to highlight the problem to "prevent a tragedy waiting to happen".
A Hartlepool Borough Council spokesman said: "The prolonged cold spell over the winter months has contributed to the deterioration of some roads in Hartlepool.
"This is common with other towns and cities throughout the country.
"Although we regularly inspect roads we do rely on motorists to report any dangerous potholes to us.
"We will now be inspecting these areas now that the concerns have been brought to our attention."
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Weather for Peterlee
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
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Temperature: 11 C to 17 C
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