A FED UP father wants the Council to step-in and adopt a bomb-holed road.

Mr Douglas Richards labels pot-holed Commonside Road a 'car wrecker' which taxi drivers have branded out-of-bounds.

Now, after years of in-action, he wants something done for those living in the Mosley Common cul-de-sac, who include his daughter, Lianne, 28.

He plans to write to MP Terry Lewis as well as pressing councillors for the road to be made-up.

Mr Richards, of Treen Road, Tyldesley, whose daughter bought the terraced house from him six months ago, said the pot holes are worse than ever, and deep enough to take the bottom off a low slung car.

"But what bothers me most is taxis won't come down to pick up my daughter. They tell her to go to the end of the road, and I don't think that's a safe arrangement in these times.

"The road is an absolute disgrace.

"St John's CE Primary School is at the end of the road and the King Billy next to it. I think something should be done.

"It's a beautiful place to live with a green at the front and horses grazing at the back, all that lets it down is this obstacle route. It's like a ploughed field and all the muck gets traipsed into the house.

"If the road is unadopted why do the residents have to pay the same rates as everyone else? If the council is not willing to help us we shouldn't pay as much rates, surely."

A council spokesman said: "Unfortunately this is one of 650 unadopted streets in the borough which Wigan took over at reorganisation from the urban district councils. Some are in worse states than others. We do not allow this kind of building to go on now.

"Unfortunately there is nothing at this time that the council can do. It would be an extremely costly exercise to make them up to an adoptable state.

"I don't think there is very much point in holding out hope that things are going to happen, but of course any petition will be considered along with representations from the local MP."

Pictured: Mary Rowson, who now lives in Lindale Road, has been dodging the puddles for most of her 82 years.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.