Vigilantes have spray-painted the F-word next to a giant pothole on a busy road to warn motorists. The road safety avengers - known as the ‘Rocks and Pothole Raiders’ - have taken matters into their own hands on Shelton New Road in Stoke by highlighting two crumbling craters on the stretch between Hartshill and Cliffe Vale.
They have taken the action after accusing Stoke-on-Trent City Council of doing nothing. They say the potholes are damaging motorists' vehicles.
One of the vigilantes told StokeonTrentLive: “We are sick to death of the council doing nothing about these potholes. It’s a joke. These potholes are dangerous - people have burst God knows how many tyres and they’re left with a cost that the council won’t reimburse.
"You can’t avoid the potholes either because there are parked cars and oncoming traffic. This week a new driver who’d only been passed a couple of days popped their tyre and they’re too young to pay for a new one.
“Then there’s all the rocks and rubble that’s gathered in Collis Avenue that causes people to skid and struggle to stop. It’s not fair and we’ve had enough.
"We’ve complained to Stoke-on-Trent City Council umpteen times about the potholes and the rocks, but nothing is ever done about it. You can’t even speak to a person, you have to do it all online and a lot of people get frustrated with that, especially people who don’t use the internet so they can’t complain.
"Whilst we are spraying the roads, people have been cheering us on and giving us a thumbs up because everyone’s sick to death of the potholes. At least this way people can see the potholes a bit easier and try to avoid them.”
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Pamela Allen lives in Basford. She said: “I have to go past that pothole almost every time I go out because I don’t like driving on Etruria Road because it gets too congested. It’s really deep and people have to avoid hitting it because it’ll ruin their cars. I hope the council fills it in soon.”
The council has been contacted for a statement regarding the vigilante action.
