Council intervenes to help with roads

Technical Service workers began treating footpaths and roads around the town at 3am on Saturday after an emergency meeting was held on the condition of walkways and roads in the Borough. Representatives from the Department of Regional Development's Road Service attended the meeting to discuss a possible informal agreement being drawn up between themselves and the council after weeks of ice, snow and sub zero temperatures turned Limavady streets treacherous. During the special meeting UUC Councillor Leslie Cubitt blasted the lack of action on both the Roads Service and Council's part after both stated they had "no statutory authority" to treat footpaths. Tensions on the issue began to rise in the town last week after a local trader fell on untreated Market Street and seriously injured herself. Local representatives were also "inundated" with complaints about icy streets.

Speaking at the meeting Councillor Cubitt, who arranged the special talks held in the council chamber on Friday, appealed to Road Service reps to do something to treat "ice rink" footpaths and carparks which he labelled footpaths as "death traps".

He said: "We are here today to try and help the people of Limavady. I had to help a woman off the carpark today who fell and split her nose. It's time to give something back to the ratepayers of this town. These footpaths are a death trap and