Councillors have called for work to be carried out to stop a country road from flooding and costing motorists thousands of pounds, reports Ellis Butcher.

Burton-in-Kendal Parish Council says a flood spot on the A6070 at Clawthorpe, near the entrance to the village, was becoming dangerous to road users and had lead to car parts being ripped from vehicles.

A pile of snapped registration plates, discarded wheel trims and protective car parts had been collected from the site.

The council said a blocked drain was behind the problem but, despite constant correspondence between it and Cumbria County Council, the road regularly floods during bad weather.

The issue had been regularly discussed at the council's meetings for several years and, despite attempts to resolve the issue, it now produced a groan whenever it was mentioned, said councillors.

During the recent heavy rain, the road was left under 12 inches of water and a car with two elderly women occupants stalled in the middle. Other vehicles also had to be abandoned. Parish councillor Bob Mason said the road had flooded in November, twice in December and again earlier this month.

Coun Mason had collected more than 50 square feet of damaged car parts recently and between December 2002 and February this year had taken dozens of photographs of items ripped from cars, particularly number plates.

Coun Mason said: "The general public are sadly being let down by the authorities. For things to improve, let's bring back a few good lengthsmen."

During the February flood he and council chairman chairman George Isherwood raked the area to bring the water level down.

Coun Isherwood said: "The annoying thing is the problem is solvable. The infrastructure is there, it's just the authorities don't seem to be able to get round to sorting it out. If it was going to cost thousands and thousands of pounds we would understand it."

Coun Mason said: "This is continuously being brought to the attention of Cumbria County Council and they have not yet resolved the matter. I don't know how much damage has been done to cars over the years."

Ian Sadler, spokesman for Cumbria County Council, said drainage contractors were due to visit the site in March and the parish council was invited to attend.

He said: "It's an inadequate drainage system and it all started when the motorway was built, the county council inherited it then. It's a nine-inch drain and the problem is it is too small to cope. It is cleaned regularly but becomes clogged because the system is inadequate."

Mr Sadler said the cost of replacing the drain was "astronomic" although there may be other solutions that could be explored which would be discussed with parish councillors during the March visit.