May ducks pothole issue...

Potholes blighting communities up and down the country have given an unexpected economic boost to an unlikely industry ... rubber duck makers!

Fed up residents in the village of Steeple Aston in Oxfordshire plopped rubber ducks in rain-filled potholes in an attempt to draw attention to the issue.

As a publicity ruse it worked and was quickly followed by a government vow to plough cash into repairing the highway menace.

Sunderland was allocated a hefty sum from the Chancellor’s £420m national fund for road maintenance. Unfortunately, what we thought was a windfall, turns out to be just a drop in the ocean.

According to data gathered by the RAC, Sunderland has received more than 2,700 reports of potholes over the last four years. That represents a whopping 44% increase in the last four year.

The RAC findings are astonishing , but as another motoring watchdog, the AA, revealed it’s the motorists who are paying the price for poorly maintained roads. According to their latest statistics, the average repair bill for damage to cars caused by potholes is an eye-watering £1,000.

It is a national disgrace but a particular concern in our community where transport infrastructure is vital to the ongoing success of business.

Austerity is being blamed for the city’s particularly acute pothole problem.

Coun Amy Wilson: “Although the new government funding was very welcome ... it is no substitute for the reductions that highways and other council budgets have endured because of Government austerity programmes.”

A case of the Theresa May ducking the main issue? We think so.