Road sign defaced twice to highlight potholes

12 hours ago

Tony Fisherin Shefford

News image — The "Private Road – Access Only" sign has been defaced twice

Tony Fisher/BBC A road sign which has been covered up with the words "Wheel Wrecker Way, Please! Drive Carefully". A road with potholes is in the background with an industrial estate beyond. The first section of the road is maintained with no potholes. — The "Private Road – Access Only" sign has been defaced twice

A road sign has been rewritten as "Wheel Wrecker Way", highlighting the problem of potholes.

The sign on Old Bridge Way in Shefford, Bedfordshire, had previously been changed to "Welcome to Potholesville" before it was removed by council workers.

It is not known who has twice defaced the sign put up by Central Bedfordshire Council.

The authority's executive member for highways, John Baker, said that part of "the road is not an adopted public highway so does not fall under our management or jurisdiction".

He added that "maintenance works to resurface the section of Old Bridge Way that is owned by the council" had been completed.

Tony Fisher/BBC A bald man wearing a hoodie with logos standing next to a food van. There is an England flying behind him and a sign on the footpath which reads: "Square sausage, cheese and onion £5". There are homes and cars on the road in the background. — David Price said council workers removed the "Welcome to Potholesville" sign last week

David Price, 56, who runs a food van on Old Bridge Way, said the money spent removing the signs could have been used to repair "a few of the potholes".

He said "people who live around here... have to continuously swerve to avoid the potholes".

Resident Sarah Cooper said one of my friends who was not from the area damaged her car on Old Bridge Way and had to have a tyre replaced.

"People are really fed up with the situation as you can see by the signs being put up," she said.

"There have been various attempts to fill up some of the holes but unless it is completely resurfaced it is just going to keep up ending the way it is now."

Tony Fisher/BBC A road with lots of potholes and double yellow lines on both sides. The road is on an industrial estate. — The MP for Hitchin said that "as funny as the signs are, we just need to get this fixed once and for all"

In August, last year campaigners organised a protest calling for something to be done about the potholes.

Labour MP for Hitchin, Alistair Strathern, said they were "dire and they just keep getting worse and I am determined to do everything I can to get them resolved".

He added: "Ultimately, all the powers and the funding sit with [the council] which is why it is pretty farcical they are refusing to get involved.

"They have received millions in extra funding for road repairs from central government."

But Baker said: "We have formally raised this matter with Alistair Strathern MP, given the limitations of the council's powers in this case, and we are awaiting the outcome of his inquiries within Westminster."