'A wonder' nobody hurt by 4ft deep pothole on road

A man says "it is a wonder somebody hadn't been seriously hurt" by a 1m deep pothole, caused by a suspected water leak.

Villagers said Rodbourne Road in Rodbourne village, near Malmesbury, Wiltshire, had been extensively damaged and had been eroding for three years due to water, with one pothole reported to be more than 1m (4ft) in depth.

Farm worker Daniel Chivers said it made "living in the village miserable" because it "damaged vehicles".

Wiltshire Council said it had carried out a "temporary pothole repair" and referred the "suspected" leak to Wessex Water, who said repairs would be "scheduled and carried out as soon as possible" following "further assessment".

Chivers said it was "a wonder somebody hadn't been seriously hurt" and the largest pothole - situated in front of Parsloe Farm's entrance - had made it "increasingly difficult" to move agricultural equipment in and out of the farm.

The farm worker also said the erosion had caused "several" tyre punctures on the "unlit road" with frequent "noises" heard from the farmyard of cars "bashing wheels".

Calling it a "blight on the community", he said "bodge" repairs over the years were a "waste of tax-payers' money".

Parsloe Farm tenant John Vincent also said it had "been like it for three years".

"You'd have thought they'd have sorted something by now, the road has been horrendous," he said.

St Paul Malmesbury Without Parish Council told the BBC it had reported the "deep hole" - which when filled with the leaked water was deceptive in depth - on Wiltshire Council's MyWilts app.

Wiltshire Council leader Ian Thorn said: "We have recently been made aware of a potential water leak and the formation of potholes in the vicinity of Parsloe Farm."

"The suspected water leak has been referred to Wessex Water who are investigating ... in the meantime, a temporary pothole repair was carried out until a more permanent solution can be implemented."

A Wessex Water spokesperson said: "The leak was reported to us on Monday and we carried out an inspection the same day."

They also said a team was due to "return on 3 June for further assessment".

"We'll keep residents and the council updated on repairs, which will be scheduled and carried out as soon as possible," they added.

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