I FLED the rat race of London in 1976 and moved my shop to Old Christchurch Road.

Then life in Bournemouth was heaven. Less traffic and our holiday resort was of a high quality.

How that has all changed. The whole ambiance of the resort has gone downhill.

The traffic situation is as bad as any part of London, made far worse by the lamentable lack of performance by the council over all traffic matters.

Westway was being built as I arrived. Since then only one short stretch of dual carriageway has been built in Castle Lane and that is a dog’s dinner.

For from Tesco to Iford roundabout the dual road should have been also run.

The Iford roundabout is a nightmare so from Christchurch though to Westway, it is a constant nose to tail, slow moving snarl up, all day.

This is but one example.

All our side roads are in a shocking state of repair and lack of quality. I hate driving around in the place now.

All that our council has done to our roads since 1976 is fill the whole of the place with endless not needed traffic lights and speed humps, many of which are in a state of bad repair and are wrecking our cars.

Yet they gaily waste millions on crackpot schemes that have not worked and our whole traffic system is obviously either of no interest or is beyond their comprehension.

What do others think, I wonder?

KEN COOK, Stourwood Avenue, Bournemouth