THE Northern Echo asks why couldn’t the A1 cope with the recent downpours (Echo, Sept 27).

Reporter Stuart Arnold suggested that the cancellation of the Leeming to Barton upgrade was something to do with it. The cancellation of the upgrade had nothing whatever to do with what happened last week.

A few simple facts might help to generate more light and not heat.

I lived in Catterick Village from 1966 to 1976 and from 1979 to 1986.

The Catterick by-pass was opened in 1960.

The last time the A1 flooded at the point it did last week was 1968.

The reasons why then and now are the same: the road is lower than the adjoining fields and the Catterick beck runs close to and then under the road at that point.

Coupled with exceptionally high and prolonged rainfall further up in the hills, which flowed into the beck, and the high and prolonged rainfall in the Catterick area flowing down from the adjoining fields flooding, and the closure of the A1 was inevitable.

I think following the flooding in 1968 road and water board engineers did some work to reduce the likelihood of the beck flooding onto the A1.

No doubt 44 years on they will do some more work in this area to reduce the likelihood of another closure of the A1.

Councillor Alan Macnab, Darlington.