Driver's fury as damaging potholes go unrepaired

A business owner says road repairs in his area have been "non-existent" after his 4x4 suffered wheel and tyre damage four times in the last six months.

Gordon Miller, from Michaelchurch Escley in Herefordshire, said he had been forced to spend "thousands" on repairs to his Land Rover.

"I've had cracked alloys or split tyres as a result of potholes," he said. "Almost every single minor road has more potholes than actual surface."

The very wet winter had led to more damage to roads across Herefordshire and staff were working to carry out as many repairs as possible, a county council spokesperson said.

The driver said despite paying thousands in repairs on his own car, the roads could cause some "really serious damage" to a smaller vehicle.

He also added that he had noticed a trend across the county, describing its roads as "degrading".

Asked what he would like to see, he said: "I would like to see proper road repairs.

"Obviously, road tax has gone up exponentially and we're spending a great deal more money on that but seeing no return."

Alison Gunson, from the village of Hoarwithy, in the county, said she fears she could have been seriously injured had her MOT not revealed a "massive bulge" on one tyre, suspected to have been caused by a pothole.

"I just hit this pothole," she said.

"You know when you get that real bang, but I thought everything was fine and I couldn't see any damage," she explained.

"I booked the car for its MOT and was told there was a massive bulge on the inside of the tyre.

"If I had driven that car as it was it probably would have killed me."

The spokesperson for Herefordshire Council said the wet winter meant defects in roads in the county were appearing "faster than usual on many routes", especially in rural areas.

"We prioritise the most safety-critical defects and the busiest routes, while also preparing a major resurfacing and surface dressing programme to deliver longer-term improvements," they added.

"We encourage anyone who encounters a pothole or road defect to report it using our online reporting tool."

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