I HAVE emailed the Durham County Council highways department on three separate occasions identifying ten instances of pothole problems, but I have not had a reply.

Apart from the pothole outside my doctors’ surgery, in Bishop Auckland, none of my list has been fiixed.

I am a veteran member of the Cyclist Touring Club of some 45 years and am extremely concerned at the state of our roads today. Everywhere there is urgent repair work required.

The longer it is left, the more dangerous it becomes.

In particular, with all the rain that we have been having you cannot see the potholes because they fill up with water.

The Government is seemingly determined to build the new HS2 railway route costing billions, but only serving a privileged few, not the North.

It should be putting that money towards repairing our existing roads and carrying on the A1 as a motorway all the way to Edinburgh. The A66 should be dual carriageway to Penrith and over to the Lakes.

The streets in our cities and towns are now full of cars parked either side of the roads with just a narrow route down the middle.

A fire engine or ambulance would have great difficulty getting through.

B Browning, Bishop Auckland.