A BLITZ on potholes ahead of the holiday season is being demanded by West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger.

Mr Liddell-Grainger said maintenance on far too many rural roads had been neglected and their ‘appalling state’ could soon start to deter visitors.

He frequently received complaints about the potholed state of West Somerset’s rural roads but there was no sign that local councils were taking the matter seriously.

Mr Liddell-Grainger said: “I drive a lot around the rural parts of Somerset and Devon and the picture is quite depressing.

“I know local authorities are short of cash and I know equally that they have to prioritise road maintenance spending on strategic routes.

“But the tourists will soon start arriving in droves and many of them delight in exploring quaint country routes.

“They are not going to find them quite as quaint if their suspension or tyres become damaged by roads which are as pitted as the surface of the moon.

“And implementing a few, low-cost improvements to fill potholes and maintain the integrity of the road surface is far preferable to incurring huge bills later for rebuilding roads that have been allowed to deteriorate too far.”

Mr Liddell-Grainger said a strong case could be made out purely on road safety grounds for blitzing potholes during the spring.

“This is the time of year when many councils find there is some surplus cash in the accounts and need to spend it before the end of the financial year,” he said.

“There could be no better way of doing it than bringing even a few miles of rural roads up to acceptable standards.”