How long do you think it's reasonable to wait for the county council to repair an overflowing and putrid smelling drain?

A few weeks? A couple of months? A year!?

In fact, neighbours on Southport Road first reported the problem near the junction with County Road in mid February 2019 - and have done so another six times ... all to no avail.

Yes, the smell and overflow has been investigated but not yet fixed; take a walk or cycle on the way to or from Ormskirk and you can't fail to notice the green slime in the drain overflow - and a putrid smell that's worsened in this hot May weather.

The fact that solving the problem would need major excavations at Ormskirk's busiest junction should have nothing to do with it - but QLocal's reporter Roger Blaxall thinks - like residents - this is the real reason the problem's been left to worsen since February 2019.

This story's being emailed to Keith Iddon of Mawdesley, the county councillor responsible for LCC highways; MP Rosie Cooper's already aware and I bet County Councillor John Fillis - who lives on the other side of the junction on Southport Road - can smell it too; he walks past it often enough!