Councillor says he '˜does not feel safe on slippery, mud-covered' roads

Old Leake councillor Barrie Pierpoint says he believes the mud has been caused by farmers driving off their fields.

He said: “I find the roads quite dangerous. Even driving in my GL Mercedes I don’t feel safe. The roads feel very slippery.”

He has had a number of complaints regarding the situation from his constituents and called on farmers to clean up their vehicles.

He said he was in the process of contacting farmers.

He has also contacted both borough and county councillors.

He said: “They [the farmers] have a duty of care.”

However, Gordon Corner, from the National Farmers Union, said he knew ‘all the big growers and farmers will use a sweeper to sweep off the roads and sometimes they will have a trailer that they will transfer boxes in to dry and minimise mud on the road’.

He added that, as the weather got wetter, there would be more mud from farms and other areas such as building sites.

He explained that because of the conditions and difficulty of cleaning roads entirely there may be a ‘surface film’ of mud which could be expected and which would remain.

Official guidance from authorities says people should report mud on the road to police in the first instance.

Chief Inspector Mark Garthwaite, who looks after road policing for East Midlands Operational Support Service, said: “If a member of the public considers an instance of mud on the road to be a dangerous amount, they should call Lincolnshire Police. As with all calls for service we receive, calls about mud on the road are assessed as to the risk posed to road users and the public.

“We look at aspects such as the type of road, amount of traffic, weather conditions, warning signage, whether the field entrance is being currently used, and so a clean-up at that point would not be worthwhile, and so on.

Lincolnshire County Council area highways manager Andy Wharff said: “In some cases, they approach us to help with the clearing up, which we are happy to do.

“However, we will always charge the cost of the work to the person responsible wherever possible.”

To report a problem with mud on the road, call 101 or 999 in an emergency.