A ROAD which was closed for three years after a landslip has finally reopened.

In 2008, heavy rain caused a landslip at the side of Liverton Mill Bank, which led to the closure of the road to Moorsholm from the A171 in east Cleveland.

Residents wanting to reach the nearest town had to make lengthy detours.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council carried out bank stabilisation work and installed a safety barrier and it reopened on Monday.

Councillor Steve Kay said: "The road closure has caused tremendous inconvenience and expense to local people.

"The round trip from Moorsholm to Loftus has been increased from eight to 14miles, while the return journey from Liverton Mill to Loftus has shot up from six miles to sixteen miles.

"This has meant that regular travellers have clocked up thousands of extra miles at the cost of hundreds of extra pounds over the three years.

"Businesses and farmers in the villages and in Loftus have suffered, whilst the scenic Moor Road and the village of Moorsholm have been blighted with ugly diversion and 'Road Ahead Closed' signs.

"But what has infuriated and frustrated people most have been the delays and false promises, even after work got under way. It took the council over a year to get to grips with the problem and another to get the job started. Then, last October, we were told it would take six to eight weeks to get the road open - but six to eight months would have been more accurate."