THE pothole problem in Oxford is so simple to sort out but while we have Rodney Rose and Ian Hudspeth in charge making feeble excuses, the situation will remain.

They are costing the taxpaying public hundreds of thousands of pounds. Scrimping on materials is not the way. They need to get off their overpaid posteriors and take a good look at many of the potholes and they will notice they have subsided. You cannot put new tarmac on top of old tarmac. Potholes need to be dug out and hardcore added.

I did this job on the council in the ’60s and my boss had many years of hands-on experience. We dug down three, five, if need be, six feet, hardcore was added, rammed into place by a nine-pound hand-rammer. On top was a great splodge of super-strength concrete, with at least six inches of tarmac. If the tarmac had sunk or risen above the road surface that was soon put right – not weeks or months but many, many and I mean many, years later they were as good as the day when first repaired.

But will Councillors Rose and Hudspeth take notice? Of course not, their arrogance will stand in the way. But this is the right way to get this boring pothole situation well and truly sorted.

PETER LAWRENCE Aldebarton Drive Headington Oxford