River CC & Liz to take up Murd's rusty benches complaint

Gurn riverside reporter Murd warned the Highland Council about the serious rust problem on the new riverside seats sack in February last year, suggesting to the TECS department that holes be drilled into the seats to let the water out. Later that month we took more pictures of serious cracks that had appeared in the benchs.

One year on and the seats continue to decay. Murd showed River CC members and Liz pictures of the seats from this year last night at the Community Centre and the community watchdogs agreed to investigate the matter.

The new benches - the cracks are showing now

Our riverside reporter Murd Dunbar first broke the news of the rusting benches on Thursday. Since then the Gurn has obtained more shocking pictures of the advanced state of decay that seems to have set in on some of these benches. There are three similar benches down at the harbour and they seem to be fine, they are slightly different however in that the ends are welded shut and there are holes drilled in the base (as Murd has suggested to the Council).

New riverside seats going rusty too quickly?

Riverside watcher Murd reports that some of the new seats installed by the council seem to have split and are now rusting badly. Murd has informed the TEC services at the council of the problem and suggests to them that holes should be drilled in the bottom of the legs to allow water to escape thus preventing the freezing liquid expanding and splitting the hollow metal tubes.

Have a look for yourselves fellow Gurnites as you pass this type of seat around the riverside and elswhere around the town. Could it already be too late for some of these new benches?