A suburban road in a genteel seaside resort has been branded Britain's worst for potholes after a whopping 21 of them were found in a 220 yard stretch.
The uneven section of Petersfield Road in Bournemouth, Dorset, is 'falling apart' with one pothole every 10 yards on average.
It has been labelled a safety hazard for cyclists and motorists, with road users swerving at the last minute to avoid them.
Some drivers even mount the pavements to stop the potholes damaging their vehicles in an area with four schools, making it dangerous for pedestrians.
Resident Alexandra Stevens, 61, a retired primary school teacher, said she fears 'going over her handlebars' every time she cycles on the road.
She said: "I use this road often if I'm going into town or into church and it's quite a poor road.
"I'm quite surprised at how quickly it has deteriorated. They have got worse in the last couple of months.
"I cycle along the road and there are potholes every 10 metres, which is not right.
"The whole stretch of road is just falling apart and crumbling away.
"We're not halfway up a mountain. This is a residential area with schools.
"The problem is this road is quite narrow and there is a chicane in it so when you hit a pothole and take evasive action there's nowhere to go.
"Some are half a metre long and wide and deep enough for beer cans to roll in.
"If this is not Britain's worst road, then it is definitely in the running.
"There's a huge one at the end of the road joining Harewood Avenue and that seems to have appeared suddenly.
"I try not to be put off from cycling down there, but I do think it is dangerous because if you have another car coming down the opposite direction it has to keep on the left hand side.
"This is not always possible to do safely as there are so many potholes you will end up going over your handlebars."
Other residents slammed the local authority, BCP Council, for not fixing the road.
Kelly Govier said: "The council should just resurface the road. This road isn't that wide and it isn't suitable for two cars to drive down on opposite sides and it should be a one way.
"There are also four schools around here and cars are having to go up on the pavement to avoid the potholes – which is dangerous for pedestrians.
"We've all written to the council asking them to repave the road but nothing has happened."
BCP Council said they will be doing a safety inspection of the road in the coming weeks.
A BCP spokesperson said: "After reports last week from residents, and before our next scheduled safety inspection, works have commenced today on repairs to potholes and safety defects in Petersfield Road.
"We encourage residents who are concerned about potholes in the BCP area to report them online."
