CONGESTION costs the regional economy around £165m a year and you might have been forgiven for thinking that a large chunk of that was being incurred in Bournemouth now.

With dozens of roadworks across the borough this week there’s pretty much no journey that isn’t disrupted by temporary traffic lights, queues and the omnipresent orange and red barriers.

Highways bosses say keeping traffic moving is a priority, but motorists are finding reality different.

And they might feel as far as councils and water, gas and electricity companies go, a bit more joined up digging wouldn’t go amiss.