VILLAGE residents have been urged to complain to the council after claims that long-awaited road repairs have left the area in a worse condition.

A petition was sent to Darlington Borough Council earlier this year from Hurworth residents, calling for improvements to the roads and footpaths in the Roundhill Road area.

There were also calls for the railway bridge and ring road roundabout near the new Neasham Road football stadium to be tidied up.

Many of the roads have since been resurfaced and some potholes repaired, but they say contractors have made the area look worse.

The residents' spokesman, Barry Cornell, said: "The loose chippings haven't been cleaned up from the roads on our estate and they now litter the footpaths.

"In some places, water collects in large pools instead of running into the drains."

He said footpaths remained uneven and dangerous and, despite the petition, nothing had been done to improve the A66 roundabout or clean graffiti off the railway bridge.

He has written to all the residents, asking them to complain to the council to get the repairs completed to a more satisfactory standard.

A council spokesman declined to comment on the complaints, but said a meeting with Mr Cornell will be held on October 18 to discuss the residents' concerns.