The concerns about un-repaired potholes in Norton’s “car-wash corridor” (Church Street) are genuine.

However, along with global efforts to preserve Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, North Yorkshire highways department should be applauded for safeguarding Norton’s tidal reservoir of fresh-water species of stickleback, sausage minnow, and crab.

If our local district councillors and Parliamentary candidates want to ensure the safe passage through Norton of the cyclists in the Tour de Yorkshire, they should direct their hail of sausages at the directors of Yorkshire Water and persuade them to repair the sewer.

Come Le Tour, if it rains “the wrong kind of rain”, the riders will not need a road, they will need a ferry.

Simon Thackray, Brawby