Pothole finally filled in after seven years

A council’s ‘rapid response team’ have finally filled in a pothole after residents complained about it – for seven years.

The hole – which measured a staggering 2.5ft wide and 3ins deep – has caused chaos for drivers and cyclists ever since it first emerged in 2003.

Despite numerous complaints to the council from residents, nothing was done even though grass began sprouting around the sides of the hole.

Residents in Urban Way in Wellington, Shrops., even baked a birthday cake to ‘celebrate’ the seventh year the pot hole had been on their street.

But moments before a local newspaper photographer arrived to take pictures of the residents on Wednesday, Telford and Wrekin Council’s Rapid Response Team turned up and filled the hole in.

Wellington Town Councillor Pat McCarthy, who led the fight to fill the hole in, said: ”It’s hilarious really.

”If that’s the council’s rapid I’d hate to see how fast they react normally.

”The residents are elated that something has been achieved.

”Overall it has been a bit of a birthday party, something to finally celebrate.

”The fact that they [the council] seem to only take note of the problem on the back of bad publicity when they are responding to residents’ needs is not good.”

Councillor Adrian Lawrence, cabinet member for environment with Telford and Wrekin Council, defended the authority’s response time.

He said: ”An inspector first visited the site on March 8 following complaints from residents but on that occasion he did not deem it required urgent repair.

”Following a site visit in response to a second service request in April, work was programmed in for Wednesday.”