THE campaign to improve the roads into the port of Cairnryan has gained a prominent supporter in the person of a former police chief from Northern Ireland.

Former Royal Ulster Constabulary and Police Service of Northern Ireland Assistant Chief Constable Stephen White has told how a pothole on the A75 near Newton Stewart led to more than £2000 worth of extensive damage to his Volvo car.

He told the Belfast Telegraph that he was travelling from Cairnryan to an event at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham when his Volvo hit a potholed stretch of the A75.

He said: “We were heading for England, and suddenly bang.

“I knew something expensive had happened. To cut a long story short, I had to buy two new wheels and tyres – £2100.”

White, who is the chairman of the Royal Ulster Constabulary George Cross Foundation, reported the damage immediately, expecting to be reimbursed – but his claim was rejected within a few days.

He added: “I appealed that decision, and have now received a letter from the roads people saying: ‘Sorry, we don’t think we’re liable for the damage to your car.’”

White is now backing the local campaign to improve the A75 and A77, saying: “The state of the road is absolutely ridiculous. I’m a motorcyclist myself, and I think someone is going to get killed on that road unless they repair it.”

Cairnryan provides a vital ferry service carrying freight and visitors to and from Larne and Belfast in Northern Ireland and the state of both the A75 and A77 has been a concern for a number of years with petitions being taken to the Holyrood Parliament calling for the roads to be upgraded to dual carriageway for their length.

The Conservative MSP for Dumfries and Galloway, Finlay Carson, is now promoting a petition that specifically calls for potholes on the roads to be treated.

More than 1000 people have already signed the petition which states: “We, the undersigned, call on the Scottish Government to take immediate action to fix the 1000s of potholes and improve the crucial A75 and A77 trunk roads in Dumfries and Galloway and Ayrshire, and to give a long-term commitment to ensure once and for all these routes are fit for purpose.

“We demand the roads are maintained to the standard befitting the A75, a designated ‘Euro-Route’, and the A77, which are both vital roads linking Scotland, the north of England and Ireland with the UK’s third busiest port at Cairnryan.”

Carson adds: “I have highlighted these concerns on numerous occasions in the Scottish Parliament. In addition, I have written to successive Scottish Government transport secretaries, driven the route with Transport Scotland and highlighted countless issues in the local press. Despite my actions, we are yet to see sufficient investment in our roads.”

A spokesperson for Transport Scotland told the Belfast Telegraph the agency had invested millions in the two key routes, stating: “Since 2007, we have invested more than £50 million in six road improvement projects along the length of the A75, and around £35m in four road improvement projects along the A77, providing additional overtaking opportunities.

“Further planned investment for a bypass at Maybole with estimated constructions costs of £30m will provide better journey time reliability for motorists and businesses accessing Cairnryan.

“This is in addition to more than £187m invested in the maintenance and upkeep of the A75, A76 and A77.”

Contractors Scotland TranServ said they could not comment on an individual case.