Nigel Hartin, Shropshire Councillor for Clun Division, has hit out at Shropshire Council after it failed to clear a blocked gully outside Bucknell School leaving it surrounded by floodwater for the second time in a month!

Nigel said " Today Bucknell school closed for a second day. It was an avoidable closure if only Shropshire Council had listened to the request I made following the severe rain a fortnight ago to get the blocked gullies around the school cleared.

A Councillor has lodged a strong complaint to Shropshire Council after their contractors set up traffic lights on the near Stockton on the Welsh border only to disappear and do no further work!

Heather Kidd, Shropshire Councillor for the area, said: "Traffic lights were put in a month ago as large pothole and edge of road deemed unsafe. The work was deemed urgent. Since then nothing has been done to put this right.

A series of questions will be submitted to the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee next Thursday September 7^th by Underdale Councillor, David Vasmer, on behalf of members from Liberal Democrat Group.

"We have been sent copies of a series of emails from a former Senior Quantity Surveyor who worked as a contractor for Shropshire Council monitoring the operation of the Kier and WSP contracts," explained Cllr Vasmer. "He was very concerned about the monitoring of the Council's contracts with Kier and WSP."

Local candidate Ruth Houghton stormed to victory on the 12th September, to hold the seat for the Liberal Democrats.

"When Councillor Jonny Keeley decided to step down owing to family pressures- - full time work and 3 children - Ruth stepped into the breach and has worked tirelessly to win this election." Said Heather Kidd, neighbouring Councillor for Chirbury and Worthen. " We now have a complete local team again covering the whole of south west Shropshire from Worthen to Bishops Castle and Bucknell. She will make a fantastic and committed new councillor."

Thank you all so much.

I am delighted, honoured, absolutely over the moon to stand before you as the leader of the Liberal Democrats.

And as the first woman to lead our party.

I am delighted, honoured, absolutely over the moon to stand before you as the leader of the Liberal Democrats.

I joined this party when I was 17. And over the last twenty-two years, through all the ups and downs, the Liberal Democrats have felt like a family to me.