Call for action over '˜dangerous' potholes in South Shields street '“ council says '˜no record' of complaints

Ali Hayder says people living in Bedford Avenue, South Shields, are concerned over the state of the road which circles the area.

He says there are a number of deep holes which are causing a hazard for vehicles and pedestrians - especially after heavy rainfall.

South Tyneside Council have promied to investigate the problem.

Mr Hayder said: “It has been like this for definitely a year now.

“They are dangerous, especially when it rains and they fill with water.

“Drivers just don’t realise how deep they are. They are also a hazard for those who use mobility scooters. It is not just one part of the road, they are all over.”

He added: “You can see drivers swerving to try and avoid them. It’s even worse when drivers don’t know they are there.

“No one has been out to check them and there are a number of them all over the road. They are all really bad.

“Luckily, I don’t think anyone has been hurt, but it is only a matter of time.”

It is a call which has been backed by a number of residents who also say the potholes are causing a nuisance for both motorists and pedestrians.

Mahdi Ali, 18, who also lives in Bedford Avenue, said: “The roads around here are really bad. The pavements are all cracked too and in some parts the kerbs are even missing.

“One of the cars curbed it’s wheel because of one of the potholes.”

He claimed the council has been told by a number of residents of the state of the road, something which the council denies.

A spokesman for South Tyneside Council said: “We have no record of any residents’ complaints about potholes in Bedford Avenue.

“Now that we have been made aware of this issue, we have arranged for a highways inspector to visit the area and arrange any necessary repairs.”

During 2015 and 2016 more than 2,500 potholes were reported to council chiefs with £69,000 paid out in repairing them.

Last year, South Tyneside council were given an extra £100,000 to fix potholes on the borough’s roads.

The cash was allocated from the Department of Transport from the Government’s Pothole Action Fund.

The money was made available as part of a drive to repair one million potholes across the country.