WITNEY is a thriving and vibrant town which attracts shoppers and other visitors from miles around.

But the damaged pavements in Market Square, High Street and Corn Street and elsewhere are letting the town down.

Market Square is in particularly poor shape, with tree roots pushing up and cracking paving slabs. But the issue has been long recognised and the town’s county councillors pledged money to help in April.

They were given money to spend on projects in their divisions and the Witney members decided to pool their funds to improve the town centre.

Some of the money was spent on the railings around Church Green and installing speed warning signs in Oxford Hill.

Church Green now looks fantastic but we hope the remaining money can be spent quickly to bring the rest of the town up to the same standard.

The town centre is becoming increasingly difficult to traverse for people in wheelchairs and those with mobility issues. The cracks and uneven paving mean mobility scooter users are going along roads rather than the pavements. This is a dangerous situation which needs to be sorted out.

Not being able to get around easily causes misery and isolation if it means people cannot easily leave their home.

We understand the county council is facing severe spending restraints but this is a situation that needs to be rectified – and quickly.