NEWLY-reelected Conservative MP Geoffrey Cox has pledged a parliamentary petition for road improvements.

The Torridge and West Devon MP, who expectedly secured his seat with an 18,403 majority, told the Post this week his first campaign is to tackle the 'state' of rural roads.

He said: "One of the things that struck me as I drove and walked around over the final six weeks of the campaign was the quite unacceptable and appalling condition of the roads that some of our small rural communities have to put up with, and I have made a promise that I will commence a parliamentary petition.

"I shall start sending out the petition to every town and village in our constituency and urge as many thousands of people to sign because I intend to make a specific issue of our roads."

Mr Cox described some of the roads as 'riverbeds' and said it was 'unacceptable' that some small communities were being 'abandoned' and becoming 'isolated' by the road conditions.

"The problem is, in the very necessary and understandable drive to save money, smaller rural communities have been neglected, not realising that sometimes it is the only road between them and complete isolation. I think we have got to tackle this problem and I am going to bring some real attention to it over the next few months."

For the full report, and a round-up of the area news and sport, see this week's edition of the Post.