A BORDERS businessman has handed over £10,000 to Scottish Borders to fix the potholes and pavements in his hometown.

Frustrated health spa boss Stephen Winyard handed over the cash on Monday in a bid to kick-start repairs on the region's crumbling roads.

The managing director of Stobo Health Spa, who lives in Peebles, told us: "In no way should this be construed as a criticism of the council's roads department – they have done a Herculean job in keeping our roads clear during the most extreme weather conditions we have experienced for many years.

"The reality is such that they have been left with an unprecedented backlog of repairs, all to be addressed within the constraints of a finite budget.”

Motorists from across the Borders regularly take to social media to air their anger at the state of the region's roads.

Inspectors from Scottish Borders Council have spent the last month or so on the road drawing up details of the damage across the 1800 miles of carriageways.

And it is hoped that further financial support will be given from central government to carry out repairs to around 700 sections which have been identified as needing repaired.

Mr Winyard has asked Council Chief Executive Tracey Logan for his contribution to help tidy up the streets of Peebles.

He added: "I hope this contribution will be seen as a positive example of how the private sector and the public sector can work together to everyone’s mutual advantage.

"I am urging their Chief Executive to use this additional funding to immediately survey and repair at the earliest opportunity the worst of the pavements and potholes that are so, so blighting my home town of Peebles – not only for the safety and wellbeing of residents, but to project Peebles in a far better light as a destination of choice especially with the oncoming tourist season that is so vital to our local economy."

The donation by Mr Winyard on Monday was met with an announcement from the local authority to improve 32 Borders roads as part of a £2.6million resurfacing programme this year.

A spokesperson said: “The Council appreciates Mr Winyard’s gesture as part of his ongoing commitment to the Tweeddale area.

"Officers will now consider how we could get best value for the local roads network with this donation.

“The council has been carrying inspections of all roads in the Borders to assess the damage since the extreme winter weather experienced in late February/early March.

“These surveys have identified over 700 sections of damaged roadway associated with the extreme winter weather across the 3,000 kilometre network in the Borders.

"The council has already commenced a programme of works to repair this identified damage but this will take a number of weeks to complete."

Scottish Borders Council has committed £22 million to repairing and improving bridges and roads in the region over the next three years.