Pothole misery is over for residents on a South Shields street

Ali Hayder has praised South Tyneside Council after workers moved in to lay new tarmac on Bedford Avenue, in South Shields.

Up to now, potholes highlighted by Mr Hayder last June had merely been filled in, which he says was unsatisfactory due to holes re-appearing soon after.

At the time he said the road was hazardous for both vehicles and pedestrians – especially after heavy rainfall – due to how deep the potholes had become.

He also added that people with mobility scooters were finding it hard to cross the road at certain places.

However, now the road has been resurfaced he says the council should be praised for the work it has done, which has also been given the thumbs-up from residents.

Mr Hayder, who lives in Bedford Avenue, said: “After the issue was raised, the council came out and filled in the holes.

“The work was okay, but it did not last very long.

“The potholes were dangerous and you could see at times drivers swerving to avoid them.

“It was even worse when it rained, as sometimes you didn’t know they were there until your wheel went in one.”

Since then, the road running through Bedford Avenue has been resurfaced, much to the delight of residents.

Mr Hayder added: “We are all really pleased with the new road.

“The road was very bad. But now it has been made safe for road users and people.

“They came out a couple of weeks ago and I have spoken to people since. Everyone has said what an improvement it is.

“I just want to say ‘thank you very much’ to the council for the work they have done, it is excellent.

“I would like to see it being extended into the other streets, as there are a lot of potholes there too.”

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

Last year, South Tyneside Council was 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.