CHURCH Road in Mountnessing must be high up on Essex County Council's pothole fixing priority list, according to a former teacher who says the road is a deathtrap.
Heavy lorries have damaged the surface of the road, which runs from the Roman Road to Billericay, according to Brian Smith from Kelvedon Hatch.
Earlier this month, the 73-year-old, who uses the stretch regularly, counted 25 holes in the road and believes that apart from the risk of tyre punctures – like the one he witnessed a fortnight ago – it is a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt or worse.
"This really could be the scourge of the pothole," he said.
The most dangerous sections, according to Mr Smith, are just after the railway bridge and at the T-junction between Church Lane and Old Church Road.
He said: "Why should I have to take dangerous roads because [the council] cannot be bothered or care enough to fill roads in?
"The point is they should have people who can respond quickly.
"I'm concerned about the safety of cyclists or a motorbike. What happens if a bike goes into one, faced by an oncoming car? They wouldn't have a chance."
Mr Smith, who is chairman of the Kelvedon Hatch Village Hall Trust, believes that not repairing potholes, such as the 3ft by 10 inch crater in Church Road, is negligence.
He believes the only way that roads like those in Mountnessing will come to the council's attention is if enough people make a noise about it.
He said: "I'm not doing this for the sake of it, I'm doing it to try and save someone's life.
"If the general public were more aware of what we can do as public and make a nuisance of ourselves, more could get done."
Essex County Council revealed this week that it has set aside £11 million to strengthen roads to prevent future potholes and fix the worst of those remaining.
The county council claims that in part one of the project, which was completed at the end of October, 40,000 potholes were fixed across Essex.
County councillor Derrick Louis, cabinet member for highways and transportation said: "We are taking decisive action to strengthen our road network and repair potholes as soon as possible.
"We have just experienced the wettest year on record, and we are having to deal with the damage this has caused to our roads. Residents can assist us by reporting potholes as soon as they appear."
The Highways team is also trying to keep drains clear to prevent standing water, which they say leads to potholes forming as water freezes in existing road defects.
To report a pothole or track its repair, go to www.essex.gov.uk/highways and click on "View it, track it, report it".
