HEAVY lorries on unsuitable roads are an unfortunate by-product of today's society, any chance to eliminate them, other than to stop consuming, went long ago with our failure to utilise our canal and railway systems.

It is sad that Bourton-on-the-Hill is afflicted and equally sad that so is Stow, and for that matter almost every other part of Britain's rural road network.

I have been in the vehicle industry for over 30 years and am an operator for the Gloucestershire Constabulary Vehicle Recovery Scheme, my area covering the North Cotswolds.

I do not live in either Bourton or Stow so have no personal bias in favour of moving traffic from one to another, either from a business or residential point of view.

From my experience of attending incidents at both locations, there is little doubt that the major proportion occur in Stow.

In any event not all road closures are eliminated by the removal of heavy vehicles from the system, roads are frequently blocked in the event of light vehicle accidents and breakdowns. The North Cotswolds has for many years boasted full employment with a myriad of small businesses operating in remote areas reliant on deliveries, often by heavy transport, without which their very survival is threatened.

Not all, but many of the campaigners will be the recently retired, escaped from the stresses and strains of the rat race, others are longer term residents, all will have their reasons to wish the traffic gone, perhaps some of these points could be born in mind when they wish the problem dumped on the doorstep of those equally undeserving and affecting not only Stow but Chipping Norton and Burford.

RICHARD STUART-TURNER, R and W Recovery and Repairs, Draycott Road, Blockley.