Road potholes.

Apart from the winter weather, utility work, increased traffic and the quality of materials, the quality of road work must be a factor.

In the days when the North Riding had their own roads work force, our roads were amongst the best in the country, I covered most of them.

Looking at the terrible state of Rawcliffe Lane outside the library almost daily, this short stretch seems to embody the full range of road hazards.

In comparison, there are long stretches around the county which have suffered the same winter and, often heavier, traffic and are in perfect condition. There are others with perfect surfaces on both sides, but deep ruts all along the centre for long stretches where it has been put down in two halves. Others perfect in the middle and ruts at the sides.

There must be cases of faulty workmanship!

The city and county engineers should be acquainting themselves of these and getting the contractors in to explain them. Where they cannot be explained away, they should be asked to return to them and put them right free of charge, or taken off all government and local providers lists.