WHEN we read the report in last week's D&S on the fears over the crumbing road used when the A684 is closed we were amazed that a North Yorkshire County Council spokesman had stated that they were not aware of any structural problems which could lead to a collapse of a section of the road near Thornton Rust.

In early September a representative of the NYCC highways department held a site visit with North Yorkshire county councillor John Blackie and Aysgarth and District parish councillor John Dinsdale. During that meeting that representative was shown where the road was subsiding because part of the bedrock had fallen down the scar.

t is 12 months now since the parish council brought this dangerous situation to the notice of the highways department. We find it incredible and very depressing that a spokesman should fatuously claim yet again that this is simply a matter of repairing some retaining walls.

Will the NYCC wait until the road collapses and a vehicle falls down the scar before it accepts what the true problem is?

And when will it accept that a narrow, single track road with a few passing places is not a safe diversionary route for two-way traffic when the A684 in Wensleydale is flooded.

John Dinsdale and David Pointon, Thornton Rust parish councillors.