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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Fatima Aziz & Olivia Williams

Tony Bellew 'nearly lost car with three kids in it' after hitting potholes

Boxer Tony Bellew claims he "nearly lost his car with three kids in it" after hitting potholes.

The 40-year-old, from Toxteth, posted on Twitter to share his anger of the condition of roads around Ormskirk. He claims two of his tyres have been written off due to potholes on the roads in the area.

The former boxing champion said he had been travelling along North Moor Lane, near Halsall village, in the direction of Ormskirk when his car hit a large hole in the road. Tony also shared pictures of his tyres which appeared to be flat and have a hole in them, alongside pictures of the pothole, reports LancsLive.

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Bellew and his wife Rachel have three children together - Corey, Cobey and Carter. The dad also demanded the local council "sort its roads out".

He said on Twitter: "Two car tyres wrote off due to holes on North Moor Lane heading towards Ormskirk! Be careful people! Two nasty holes and nearly lost the car with kids in it! Sort your roads out! Dangerous."

Lancashire County Council is responsible for road management across Lancashire in every borough apart from Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen. Bellow has been retired since 2018 after losing to future Anthony Joshua opponent Oleksandr Usyk in his bid to become undisputed cruiserweight champion.

While some agreed the roads he drove on were "so awful" others were quick to criticise the dad-of-three. Some seemed to think Bellew could have avoided the holes altogether by swerving his car. The retired boxer's reply was simple - he drove over them to save his family from a head on collision.

@jezwyke wrote to Bellew: "Drive around them, Stirling Moss." He replied: "I would of had a head on collision if I’d of went around it smart a**e!"

@jpy10 was offered the same explanation when he asked the boxer: "How did you not see them? Surely not paying attention to the road ahead or driving to the road conditions ? I agree the roads are awful."

Bellew responded by saying: "I tried to avoid them but not possible without a head on collision."

Another Twitter user referenced the positioning of the potholes in the road. @codyhaine91 said: "Roads are horrendous but those pot holes are almost central in the lane for your car to be hitting them you’d have to be riding the white line."

Bellew simply replied: "I tried to avoid them, donut, but couldn’t. Look what it’s done to the tyre wall!"

A spokesperson for Lancashire County Council said: "We have a planned programme of inspections to check our roads for defects, however potholes can form quickly during the winter due to the cold and damp conditions. We received a report about potholes on North Moor Lane this morning and are visiting the site this afternoon to carry out any repairs which may be needed."

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