Villagers call for action over 'crater' potholes

Osgodby resident Holly Bryant said the potholes had become like "craters"

Potholes on a road in a Lincolnshire village - some of which have been described as "like craters" - need to be mended urgently, local residents have said.

People in Osgodby said the potholes covered the width of the road and they frequently filled with water, creating a mini lake.

Villagers said it was impossible for drivers and pedestrians to gauge the depth of the water, resulting in people being hurt and vehicles being damaged.

Lincolnshire County Council said it was investigating the situation with the road in question.

Osgodby resident Holly Bryant said there were several potholes along the lane which had gradually joined together to cover the width of the road "like craters".

"Because they are so deep and the ridges are so bad, a lot of hatchbacks can't go through without grinding underneath," she said.

Ms Bryant said that in places the holes were about 7ins (17cm) deep and rainfall caused real problems to anyone travelling on foot.

"There's children on the lane, so to get to school their only safe passage through is to go on that small area of kerb to the side and hold onto the railings.

"One resident has broken their ankle over the winter," she added.

Andrew Fisher said he had recently been injured due to one of Osgodby's potholes

Andrew Fisher, another Osgodby resident, said he had injured himself thanks to one of the potholes.

"I was walking through one night with my boots very, very gently and I fell over and hurt my knee and had to go to hospital."

Mr Fisher said that luckily no bones were broken in the fall, but he had suffered some painful soft tissue damage.

Meanwhile, Sean Radley, from Lincolnshire garage firm Dexel Tyres, said it was not only people who were facing problems as a result of the village's potholes.

Recovery trucks were turning up daily with pothole damage, Mr Radley said.

"Blown out tyres, suspension damage, it is a real issue," he said.

"These roads are dangerous and they do cause serious accidents."

Councillor Richard Davies, executive member for highways at Lincolnshire County Council said the policy was that potholes less than 1.5ins (40mm) deep did not get immediate repairs.

"Over the last decade on this road we have carried out six jobs in total," he said.

"There is a current investigation going on at the site and we will react accordingly to the outcome of this as soon as possible."

He said government support for the council's road maintenance funding had been cut amid "spiralling costs" and the authority had tried to bridge the gap by using its reserves.

"Every day we repair many vital roads in Lincolnshire and are trying our absolute best to get as much done as we can with the increasingly shrinking resources we have," added Mr Davies.