I WOULD like to invite all candidates vying to become our next MP to visit their future constituents here in the West Allen Valley.

Or perhaps ‘challenge’ them to visit would be more appropriate. As they, like all of us who live in the Ninebanks area, will have to run the gauntlet and try to navigate around all the monstrous potholes that are now a staple feature of the ever disintegrating road surfaces.

And I use the term ‘road surface’ loosely, as they actually bear more resemblance to filthy unmaintained tracks rather than roads.

Sadly my own pothole detection skills finally failed me last week, when I hit an unavoidable cluster of water filled holes less than half a mile from home – resulting in a bill of over £140 to replace a ripped tyre and repair a hole in an alloy wheel.

This figure does not include the inconvenience, time and fuel costs associated with driving half way across the county to sort it out. Northumberland County Council has been informed many, many times by local residents about the number of potholes in the West Allen area.

Their previous responses of either totally ignoring complaints or at best, patching a bizarrely random selection of potholes, has undoubtedly exacerbated the current situation.

During this election campaign we will no doubt have to sit and listen to empty promises made by all political parties about how they will better fund the NHS and our schools, how they will fix the broken social care system – and as no one has been allowed to forget for the past 3 years – how they will or will not, get Brexit done.

However, I for one, would also like to hear how our political masters intend to deal with the broken road network, which quite frankly, has become a national disgrace.

I look forward to seeing which parliamentary candidate(s) accept my challenge!

JOANNE SUTTERBY

Ninebanks