A LOCAL MSP has called on Scottish Borders Council to prioritise the quality of roads in the region.

Christine Grahame MSP raised concerns after seeing the state of the tarmac on the roads connecting the Borders alongside faded white lines and missing cat's eyes.

Ms Grahame said: "I regularly drive many of these roads whilst working in my constituency and very much share the concerns of my constituents about their safety.

"Particularly in Winter when the dark draws in, a lack of proper white lining, hidden potholes and missing cats eyes can make driving much more difficult, indeed I’m alarmed to hear stories of near misses on these roads as a result.

"The council has a duty to make sure the roads are made safe for those who rely on them - it must prioritise their maintenance to bring them back to an acceptable standard and to avoid future accidents.

"If the council can find money to speculatively buy the Lowood Estate for £11 million for a risky property development scheme, it should be able to find money to make the roads useable – priorities have to shift at SBC."

As previously reported, the poor condition of the B709 from Heriot to Innerleithen and the A703 from Peebles towards Eddleston have seen members of the public call on their community councils to help fix dangerous pot-holes.

This includes three members of the same family having their cars damaged by pot-holes on the A703 within weeks of one another.

SBC councillor Gordon Edgar, executive member for roads and infrastructure, at a recent meeting of Selkirk Community Council, said: "Our recent budget consultation showed that the service believed to require the most attention and money was roads."