Road safety a priority

The Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, Sir George Young, joined the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Sherwood, Mr Mark Spencer, on his campaign trail on Wednesday.

The pair visited the Limes Café near Bilsthorpe on the A614, a black-spot for accidents, before meeting older people at the Green Centre, Bilsthorpe, and going to fishing lakes managed by volunteers, on the former Bilsthorpe colliery site.

Sir George, who was Secretary of State for Transport from 1995 to 1997, said: “I was very interested in what Mark was saying about the A614. It’s something I would like to follow up to reduce the number of fatalities.”

He said he was happy to support Mr Spencer on his campaign trail.

Last year, four teenagers and an older couple from Edwinstowe died after a head-on crash on the A614.

Mr Spencer said: “It’s a real high priority. The A614’s safety record is shocking and we are going to have to look at how to improve safety precautions.

“The junctions are a concern. People from Bilsthorpe take their lives into their own hands sometimes.

“We will also look at congestion, in places like Ollerton roundabout.”

Mr Spencer said anti-social behaviour was also a major issue for local people and the pair visited the Crompton Road playing fields that have been repeatedly vandalised since opening.

Mr Spencer said: “I’m keen to get out there and meet people and try to make a difference. People are fed up with politicians talking. We need action.”

The Shadow Minister for Prisons and Probation, Mr Alan Duncan, discussed crime and justice with Mr Spencer when he joined him on the Sherwood campaign trail last week.

Mr Spencer said voters he met on the doorstep were concerned and expressed anxiety about anti-social behaviour and how it affected their daily lives and their general feeling of security.

Mr Duncan said that what Mr Spencer said was a familiar pattern across the country.

He said the Conservative vision was a Britain of stronger, safer communities, built on a shared sense of social responsibility and a restored bond between the police and local people.

He said the Conservatives, as a priority, would tackle the rising tide of violent crime and anti-social behaviour that was blighting so many neighbourhoods.