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Pothole misery for drivers as repair work continues

BBC Women stood on a manhole drain cover pointing at a puddle and potholeBBC
The pothole has been partially filled in after complaints

A notorious pothole on a rural A-road has been causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage to vehicles, according to motorists.

The road damage on the A361 between Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet has been reported to the council.

Mahala Grubb, from Evercreech, said she had more than £350 worth of damage to her car and explained: "It was a four-inch pothole about 20cm to 30cm long and caused huge damage."

Somerset Council said it had received reports about road damage and is investigating but added repairs caused by Storm Darragh had been "unprecedented".

Mahala Grubb Yellow measuring tape being placed into the pothole with a cone blocking part of the roadMahala Grubb
Ms Grubb measured the pothole as 9cm deep and 20-30cm long

Ms Grubb said the pothole on the A361 in Pilton is on a "really narrow stretch of road" and had a "huge" puddle of water in it, meaning many drivers are unable to avoid it.

She continued: "I had to get two new tyres and the tracking done and I only got the car two weeks ago. It cost around £350 – not great just before Christmas.

"I heard there were about 20 other people affected at a garage in Shepton and 15 others affected at a garage in Glastonbury.

"I've submitted a claim but these potholes need to be fixed properly, not just temporarily."

Mahala Grubb Water in massive hole in the road. It's on a narrow road with a three giant drain covers next to it.Mahala Grubb
Local car repair garages reported lots of people coming in for repairs after going over the Pilton Pothole

The pothole has been reported to Somerset Council and they confirmed it has had an initial repair.

Richard Wilkins, Lib Dem lead member for transport on Somerset Council said: "Across Somerset, we have more than 6,700 miles of highway and so it's a huge job.

"Since April, we've fixed more than 14,000 potholes.

"We try to invest into preventative treatments but bad weather like Storm Darragh, makes small defects a lot worse."

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