Letters - Tuesday, February 8, 2022

I wonder if I could turn to you to raise an issue with the authorities as they seem completely unconcerned with a matter I raised with them some time ago.

The A583 between Wrea Green roundabout and Kirkham crossroads was resurfaced up to 12 months ago. In doing so the double white lines and reflective ‘cat’s eyes’ separating the two carriageways were covered over. To date, they have not been repainted or replaced.

I’ve emailed a contact address at LCC Highway’s but received no response and no action has been taken.

This issue is very personal to me and causes great heartache as I was working in 1988/89 when an accident at this site caused seven deaths and two youngsters to have serious injuries. I unfortunately attended the accident and the horrific sights remain with me to this day. I find it disrespectful to the memory of those seven people and to their surviving relatives that the authorities care so little about their memory that they do not keep the area safe.

The cause of the accident? A car crossed the centre lines and hit another car travelling the other way, the very thing that could now occur after a prolonged period without painted centre lines.

Now the Lancashire Road Safety Partnership is always telling us that they don’t persecute motorists to raise revenue. They claim to invest in education and engineering as well. But this is proof that it is all about money. The average speed cameras on this stretch of road are up and running raising revenue every day. But the same authorities cannot be bothered to paint some lines and replace reflective cats eyes to keep us safe.

It is shameful, it is disrespectful to the memories of those that died, it is hurtful to their relatives and I find it abhorrent given what I and other workers had to face in dealing with that horrifying accident.

I’d be so grateful if you could expose the shameful attitude of Lancashire County Council, the Police and the other authorities involved in the Road Safety Partnership who should be having oversight that work like this is being done!

Neil Chessell

via email

POLITICS

Vital we now have honest government

For over two years we have been under siege from a very virulent virus and its variants.

Although we are not yet free of it we may be witnessing not the beginning of the end but the end of the beginning.

Another crisis is now dominating the headlines; a cost of living crisis that is going to affect our society, particularly the poorer members, very badly.

Dramatic rises in; energy prices, interest rates, food prices, inflation, petrol, mortgage rates, and in April a hike in national insurance, will cause difficulties for many and misery for significant sectors of our country.

This crisis will not be short-lived. Raising pay is not the answer as this will only cause more inflation. Increased productivity is essential but difficult to achieve in the short run.

Unfortunately, no vaccination is available to protect the vulnerable against this crisis.