HAVING spent my first 18 years in Pickering I regularly receive the Gazette & Herald in the post from my family in Ryedale.

Your Letters & Opinion page of February 25 had a particularly interesting letter, “Another fine mess on the A64.

I fully appreciate the underlying reason behind there having to be traffic lights (February 7 and 8) on the A169, near the Black Bull area, and share your reader’s frustrations with the wholly inappropriate timing of the lights.

Clearly the crass stupidity of the person (employed directly or otherwise by the county council) who set the timing of the lights should be investigated.

So, however should the equally irresponsible apathy of local traffic police for obviously not being aware of what was happening on their own door step. I find it interesting that both the bodies whose stupidity and apathy resulted in the chaos are paid for by the taxpayers – ie you and me.

Just in case you feel that this type of negligent traffic management is unique to the Ryedale area, be assured that equally brain dead civil servants and police “plods” are alive and causing similar chaos in Aberdeenshire in Scotland.

Dave Fisher, Westhill, Aberdeenshire