Yes, our cars were also damaged by that hole! (From Worcester News)

Yes, our cars were also damaged by that hole!

1:40pm Tuesday 12th March 2013 in News By Tom Edwards

MORE drivers have come forward to reveal how their cars were wrecked by a notorious Worcestershire pothole.

At least three other motorists have forked out for damage done by a massive hole in Church Lane, Norton, near Worcester.

It follows the case of Derek Jones, aged 54, who had to spend £165 after his black Kia Cee’d was damaged in the road, only for Worcestershire County Council to reject a compensation bid.

Jane Griffiths, who lives in Norton, was driving up the road on the same day as Mr Jones – December 29 last year – when her Mini Cooper “shook” after going over the pothole, causing £291 damage. She said: “There is no way anyone could have considered it a ‘normal’ sized pothole – if a motorbike rider went over it someone could have been killed.

“As soon as I went over it the whole car just shook. It bent my alloy wheel which had to be replaced. I also made a claim for compensation and got a letter back saying ‘no’.”

Bruce Steatham, 68, of Littleworth, also came forward to say he had to pay up after hitting it.

His crash was on Friday, December 28. It burst the front passenger tyre, leaving him with a £60 bill. “I was driving up the road and there was no way of seeing it once it had gone dark,” he said.

“It was about 4pm and as soon as I drove over it I knew what had happened – the tyre was completely wrecked. I didn’t ask for compensation but I reckon there’s loads of us out there who were affected by it. It’s a very, very busy road during rush hour.”

On our website a poster called Mark, also of Littleworth, left a comment saying he went up the road on the same day and was left with a £174 bill for a blown tyre.

Worcestershire County Council will not comment on individual cases but said 200 potholes are being filled in daily.

It has also said the road is subject to a “routine programme of inspection”, and that the pothole has now been filled in.

Under the section 58 of the Highways Act, councils do not have to fill in a pothole on the day it was reported to successfully defend a claim for compensation, even if they knew about it beforehand. Highways manager Jon Fraser said: “A defence to such claims is available to the council under Section 58 of the Highways Act, and if it can show that a defence exists the claimant will not be offered compensation.”