A “SERIOUS incident” happening on a Peebles road in the future is “inevitable”, according to a local resident.

Stewart McCallum, 75, who lives in Old Town, says that the condition of the A72 – mainly between Kingsland Primary School and Castle Warehouse – is in a poor state of repair.

He told this newspaper: “It’s a major incident waiting to happen.”

And he has also written letters to Scottish Borders Council road bosses; councillors Shona Haslam and Heather Anderson; the region’s police chief inspector Vinnie Fisher; MP David Mundell and MSP Christine Grahame.

In it he alleges that lorries using the road are causing “excessive noise”, especially when empty trailers use the route.

He also says that potholes on the road are causing the empty trailers to “bounce” and “sway”, which he believes will lead to a serious accident.

In the letter, Mr McCallum claims that some vehicles don’t always adhere to the new 20 miles per hour speed limit.

And he has called on the council to treat the section of the road as a “major priority” – asking for it be resurfaced as well as traffic monitoring to be put in place.

A spokesperson for Scottish Borders Council told the Peeblesshire News: “As one of the area’s strategic east-west routes, it is to be expected that the A72 through Peebles will carry a sizeable volume of traffic and that a percentage of those vehicles will be HGVs.

“Thankfully the area is still some way short of the volumes experienced elsewhere, but it is appreciated vehicle movements and associated noise can still be a source of frustration for those living on a route.

“As part of the trial 20 miles per hour speed limit, speeds in the area have reduced but unfortunately there remains an element who do not comply with the limit, as there was when it was 30 miles per hour.

“The council has no enforcement powers in relation to speed limits and only Police Scotland can take enforcement action against offenders.

“All of the council’s near 3,000 kilometres of adopted road network is inspected regularly and as one of the key arterial routes in the region, the A72 is inspected monthly – the highest frequency.

It is hoped that resurfacing works on the road will take place “early in the new year”, said the spokesperson.

Mr McCallum, who moved into his Old Town home six months ago with his wife Patricia, said: “I do believe the council will be looking at it (A72), they can’t not be.

“Until you see the road you can’t understand how bad it is.”

Another resident, 35-year-old environmental scientist Frank Ashwood said that parking along the road is turning the stretch into a one-way system.

He said: “People try to move alongside [parked cars] and there’s no space.

“The road is bottle necking all the time. It’s just a matter of time before damage is done.

“If no one’s injured, property will be damaged soon.”