Pothole menace as concerns raised about state of streets in Thurso
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Huge potholes in and around Thurso are causing a danger to drivers and pedestrians, according to local community councillors.
And there is not enough money in Caithness to keep on top of them all, local Highland councillors have warned.
The concerns were raised as freezing temperatures and freeze-thaw cycles continued to add further damage to road and pavement surfaces.
Thurso Community Council chairman Ron Gunn described the state of the roads as "really bad" and said some of the pot holes are "really deep and have to be repaired".
Community councillor James Campbell highlighted the area from Princes Street to the Dunbar hospital while Thelma Mackenzie said there were some "massive pot holes" in central parts of the town.
Mr Campbell said the situation could result in cars being damaged and pedestrians being hurt.
He pointed out that Highland Council purchased a machine to repair potholes but claimed it seemed to be used more in the Inverness and Dingwall areas. "Where does that leave the rest of us?" he asked.
Their concerns were highlighted at a meeting of the community council which was held remotely on Tuesday night.
When the John O'Groat Journal visited the area on Thursday morning, some potholes had begun to be filled by council workers but others were still to be looked at.
Thurso and north-west Caithness Highland councillor, Karl Rosie, said Caithness has got a hot tar box machine to repair potholes and acknowledged that there are problems with the road and pavement conditions.
However, he pointed out that there is just £20,000 in the budget for the work to repair potholes across the whole county.
His fellow Thurso councillor, Straun Mackie, said he reported 27 potholes in the town on Monday and urged the public to contact Highland Council on the matter.
He said if the council does not know about the potholes they can't repair them and they would also not be held liable for any damage caused to vehicles.
"The winter has not been kind and these potholes need to be repaired," he added.
Another Thurso Highland councillor, Matthew Reiss, was unable to join the meeting but in a report said there were a lot of potholes which needed repaired.
However, he added: "There are no easy answers. There is no extra cash coming from government and the freezing conditions are making the problems worse."
Highland Council made no comment about the repairs that were already under way but urged the public to let them know of any issues with potholes.
A spokeswoman for the local authority said: “We ask the public to report potholes to the council using the online ‘pothole’ form which is available 24/7 at www.highland.gov.uk/report."
Earlier, Mr Gunn praised Bear Scotland and its contractors for the "great job" they did on the road by the traffic lights in the Toll area of Thurso. "They have set a standard for the rest of town to achieve," he said.
