'Swimming' rubber ducks highlight pothole size

Paul Smith said he wanted to highlight the pothole which was causing problems

A man placed and photographed rubber ducks in a pothole to highlight what he said had become a "trench".

Paul Smith from Allens Cross, Birmingham, begun campaigning to get the pothole on Hoggs Lane in Northfield fixed in March.

Despite temporary fixes by Birmingham City Council, the pothole continued to impact residents, he said.

It has now been permanently fixed and the city council said the repair works were completed within the 12-month timescale required.

Mr Smith said: "It's sad if I'm honest that people like myself have to be creative and do things to get the potholes fixed because it should be done really when it's reported.

"This one was a trench".

Paul Smith from Allens Cross started campaigning to get the pothole on Hogs Lane fixed in March

The idea came after Mr Smith had a "flash of inspiration".

"I'd seen people doing flowers in potholes, so thought I would be a bit creative," he said.

"It was that deep it fills up with water and I thought we should get some animals"

According to Mr Smith, the pothole's presence meant elderly people were struggling to get on the bus.

"I spoke to the local bus driver and he said he had to avoid it and stop around this pothole, " he said, adding the community were "very glad" it had been fixed.

City councillor Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: "Full repair works were completed within the 12-month timescale for these works, while in the interim, the defect was monitored and temporarily repaired on a few occasions to keep it safe.

"The carriageway material used near bus stops is significantly harder and more resistant than other road areas, in order to accommodate the frequent movement and braking activity of heavy buses.

"While our contractors tried to complete the full repair sooner, the hardness of the course material and the high level of digging required to penetrate the surface meant proper protections needed to be put in place."