 on other roads. Lorimer Burn Guildford, Surrey SIR – When my son was required by a Berkshire council to identify the pothole that had caused his motorcycle crash, he was able to show it using Google Earth. Simon Crewe Plymouth, Devon SIR – Marilyn Parrott (Letters, August 25) is lucky that her council even considered repairing the potholes she reported. I informed my council of a drain and surrounding tarmac that had been pushed several inches below the road surface by the weight of vehicles and was a serious hazard to cyclists and motorists, particularly in the dark. The council's solution (after a year of me chasing) was to tarmac over the drain. Now the entire road floods when it rains and is even more of a hazard. Stephen Knight Barnet, Hertfordshire SIR – British drivers are not alone in having to deal with potholes. We have them in Canada, too, along with uneven roads and manhole covers lower than the road surface. I have always assumed that the authorities leave them like this to make us slow down. Are you sure this isn't the aim where you live, too? Peter Bull New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada SIR – Five years ago a large pothole developed at a junction near where I live, to which the local authority paid no attention. My next-door neighbour had been living in Africa. He told me that they used to plant bushes in potholes, and these would attract immediate attention. We did the same, and within six hours ours had been filled in. John Ashworth Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire SIR – Most of us agree that NHS consultants are wonderful and we couldn't do without them (Letters, August 25) . However, the country is on its knees. There are many people who work long hours, and consultants' salaries exceed what most would even dream of. They ne){kind=link}
Plus: NHS consultants’ duty; Republicans’ choice; bored of Netflix; a big cat on the golf course; and confiscated aubergines
SIR – I’m presently on holiday in the Dordogne. The many hundreds of miles I have driven in France so far have been a revelation.
The autoroutes are like a magic carpet and I have yet to see a pothole (Letters, August 25) on other roads.
How do they do it?
Lorimer BurnGuildford, Surrey