10 May 2023 , 10:12
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Fed-up residents have transformed a pothole into a rubber duck pond to highlight the 'nightmare' state of a local road.
People in the village of Blythe Bridge, North Staffordshire turned to the eye-catching solution after complaining that the council had spent months without responding to their concerns about the state of the carriageway.
Anyone driving through Elmwood Drive will now see at least three rubber ducks floating at the top of a rain puddle, which has formed inside the large crater.
Despite the amusing appearance of the local installation, villagers claim they have been forced to think outside the box because of Staffordshire County Council's inaction, which has led to the exposed bit of road ballooning in size.
Villagers claim they have been forced to take action because of Staffordshire County Council's failure to fix the road (Stoke Sentinel)One local woman says the large pothole is one of at least two in the area, and believes they pose a danger to drivers due to the impact from hitting it.
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The 32-year-old told StokeOnTrent Live: "It's been like that for a few months. There's another one at the top of the road and they both make it a nightmare.
"The pothole's got big quickly - it's dangerous. Eventually, someone's going to end up popping a tyre or doing damage to their car."
Other villagers have also had their fun with a range of different props at the location, and Sarah Grattage, 47, recently posted a picture with Gandalf from Lord of the Rings captioned 'you shall not pass'.
Speaking out on the meaning behind the pothole craze, she said: "It's just really entertaining to be honest. It's just a bit of light relief from everything going on in the world and has just seemed to spark a conversation in the community, which has been really good.
"The pothole's been there for a few months, but the ducks have only been there a few weeks. It's just people getting fed up with the state of the road."
Another resident said they understood reports had already logged with the Highways Agency to tell them to come and get it fixed, and that he'd even seen "pieces of spring" on the road where cars have hit the pothole.
Staffordshire County Council has confirmed it is aware of the issue, but it has been assessed that it is not urgent enough to warrant an immediate fix.
Deputy leader Philip White said: "Good roads are important to everyone, and potholes can be a frustrating problem for motorists - especially at the end of winter when the roads have taken their worst punishment and when repairs are difficult to complete.
"This is why we recently announced an extra investment of £5 million in pothole repairs, on top of an extra £30 million investment in larger repairs and resurfacing of roads and junctions over the next two years.
"Now we're in spring, our crews are out and about taking advantage of the better weather, and over the next few months they'll be pulling out all the stops to undertake thousands of repairs.
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"All reported highways issues are inspected as soon as possible and assessed for their severity. Any defect which poses an immediate risk is dealt with as a priority.
"Our teams are aware of the repair required which will be carried out when resources are available. People can report a highways issue on the MyStaffs App or at www.staffordshire.gov.uk."