Horsham pothole 'deep enough for ducks'

Clare Skelton said the duck swam up the road in front of her car

A pothole has become so large and deep that ducks have taken to paddling in it.

Clare Skelton photographed a mallard as she was driving along Sedgwick Lane in Horsham, West Sussex.

She said some local potholes were deep enough to go over wellington boot tops and said: "It's almost deep enough for the dog to swim in."

West Sussex County Council said it would be filled in by the end of March.

Ms Skelton said of the ducks: "I think they're flying in, looking for somewhere to nest, and they thought that looked as good a pond as any".

She said the promised repairs came as a huge relief and added: "So many of us are having damage to our cars. Even the locals get caught - the people who know where the potholes are under the water.

"You see this water flooding down the road and you don't know which bit is a really deep, dangerous pothole and some of them are 12 inches (30cm) deep."

In a statement, the council said it was "not ducking this issue".

It said: "This pothole will be filled in before the end of the month. On average we fill in 70 potholes every single working day of the year."