LACK of road repairs in Newport is becoming a big issue again with reports of potholes remaining unmended for months.

Several readers have contacted the Argus about the state of roads with complaints that they could cause accidents or damage to vehicles.

Len Freddi, of Tennyson Avenue, Llanwern, claimed roads in the village and in Newport generally are getting worse.

"I have lived in Newport since 1978 and I have never seen the roads so bad," he said.

But Newport council say they repair potholes when they appear and asked residents to report any they saw to them so that they could receive attention Mr Freddi said: "I have spoken to the supervisors at civic centre and they say they don't have any money."

He was particularly concerned about the state of the main road to Llanwern where there are some potholes on a blind bend at the top of the hill leading into the village.

He believed it was only a matter of time before the potholes caused an accident.

"There are many potholes around Newport. Some of them are very dangerous and they damage cars."

Graham Deacon, of Penwarlod Lane, Penhow, also claims nothing has been done about the state of the lane in front of his home. He said the damage was being caused by lorries.

Retired florist Mr Deacon said the bad state of the road meant the area was losing business.

He said his son Joseph, a blacksmith, had been forced to close because customers refused to use the lane and lorries carrying his steel and iron supplies would no longer travel on it.

Lorries serving his son's business had not contributed to destroying the lane as they only arived once a month, he said. Mr Deacon said: "It began three years ago.

"This has been an ongoing thing but no-one seems to do anything about it." He alleges the damage is being caused by a firm bringing materials to a building site on neighbouring land.

He said he had contacted both Penhow community council and Newport council but had been told repeatedly there was no money for repairs. A spokeswoman for Newport council said potholes were repaired when they appeared.

"We are maintaining the Penhow lane and we have mended some potholes there a couple of times in the past month," she said.

"Obviously, it is a rural lane and subject to a lot of surface water but we do maintain it and we do mend potholes when they appear."