FRUSTRATED councillors have slammed Essex County Council for not repairing three inspection covers for a year and a half.

Harwich Town councillors Dave McLeod and Ivan Henderson have said rusty and sharp inspection covers around Dovercourt need to be repaired urgently before someone gets hurt.

The inspections covers are in High Street and were reported to Essex County Council on February 24, 2016.

The council wrote to Mr Henderson to inform him they would be repaired within 10 to 12 weeks, but 18 months later they remain unrepaired.

Ivan Henderson said the inspection covers are still in a really bad condition with holes which are sharp around the edges.

He said: “If a child, or person fell over on the metal, they would be badly hurt.

“The council is having to prioritise what it spends its money on in the long term, but you cannot keep putting off things which have to be fixed straight away.

“The very foundation of local government is crumbling away in front of us.”

Mr McLeod said these are just some of problems reported to the council around the town which still need to be repaired.

He said: “We have reported issues for nearly two years and it is just not getting done.

“There are many examples of rusty inspection covers and redundant posts around the area.”

Mr McLeod is also concerned that the lack of repair work will prevent tourists from visiting the area.

He said: “If people are passing through the town, they want to see it is fairly neat and tidy.

“I see it every day but for the last few years we have been trying really hard to get our town up to scratch and make is visually friendly.

“It is all about first impressions and if things are not tidy that is important, and the safety of the public is also important.”

He said if a town’s appearance is good then people will respect the town and keep it neat.

A spokesman for Essex Highways said: “We apologise for the delay in making these repairs and will ensure the work is done as soon as possible.”