DAVID Mackerel was none too impressed by traffic congestion when he visited Taunton recently.

Mr Mackerel, from Paignton, was delighted to be able to drop in on a friend for the first time in over a year.

But he was "shocked" by the queues around the town.

In a letter to the Gazette, he wrote: "I was in Taunton visiting a friend for the first time in over a year due to Covid and was shocked what I found.

"What has happened?

"I was stuck at Cheddon Road for about half an hour, then was stuck again in town by Vivary Park, which must have been about half an hour again.

"An hour of my life stuck in traffic. There are plenty of others things I could have done in that hour.

"Who thought it was a good idea to plan all the roadworks at the same time?

"Surely this could have been done in lockdown when we were not going out?"