A COUPLE in their 50s have had to fork out almost £700 in garage fees after their car was damaged by a huge pothole in Buckinghamshire.

Andy Ball from Wing has voiced his deep disappointment in Buckinghamshire Council after failing to get reimbursed for the damage caused.

On December 13, 2023, during a rainy evening, the family returned from a social gathering in Whitchurch.

Bucks Free Press: Pothole on Wing Road

As Andy's wife Christina drove through Cublington around 9.30pm, they hit "an alarmingly deep and long pothole".

The impact was so severe that it resulted both front and rear tires of the passenger side bursting and the wheels bending.

Bucks Free Press: Flat tyres from the pothole

A mobile fitter was required to replace the tyres as the vehicle was undriveable.

Following the incident, Andy drove back the next morning to the pothole's location to take photos only to find a traffic cone marking the site. 

He spotted another car which appeared to be damaged by the same pothole parked further up the road.

Bucks Free Press: A damaged car parked on Wing Road

Andy has complained to the council, to which they replied in an email chain arguing that safety inspections conducted in October and November, 2023 deemed the road safe and required no action.

However, the family further pointed out that the accident's timing in December made the earlier inspections irrelevant.

Mr Ball said: "If a motorbike had hit that hole that night there could quite easily have been a fatality on the council's hands.

"All the points the litigation team have attempted to use as an excuse for not repaying the expense I have had due to the council's inability to provide a safe and suitable road to drive on are embarrassing, shameful and somewhat insulting.

"I pay a road fund licence and taxes to the council.

"The least I expect from that is to be able to use the roads without fear for firstly safety and secondly not damage my property when using it."

Buckinghamshire Council said they prioritise pothole repairs depending on their size and location.

Steven Broadbent, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport said: “Whilst we cannot comment on individual claims made, we can confirm that all claims are fully investigated on an individual basis.

"If a claimant is unhappy with the decision made they can appeal and the case will be reviewed.

"Additional evidence can be submitted for review as part of this process. Details of how to appeal can be found on our website: Claim for damage caused by roads or pavements | Buckinghamshire Council”

“The council investigates all reports of potholes and prioritises repairs according to their size and location, with those on busier routes and potentially having the greatest impact on the highway being dealt with the quickest.”