It almost smacks of that hackneyed old gag — there’s a hole in the road and the police are looking into it.

Except, in this case, you would need to substitute Oxfordshire County Council for the constabulary.

What are we talking about? Well, the old Abingdon to Oxford road, which has been closed in both directions since December due to a landslide and the yawning hole in the road surface that resulted.

While we accept that it will take more than just a little tarmac to rectify the situation, we feel sure we are not the only ones to be surprised to hear that the most likely earliest reopening date is summer next year.

Local county councillor Bob Johnston says that frustrates him — and many more people besides we would think.

It must be a major inconvenience to people living locally, as well as to those wanting an alternative route to the A34 — and who doesn’t?

Surely, we can repair a single-carriageway country road in a shorter span of time than that. It’s not exactly the M40, is it?