April 15, 2022 8.47 am This story is over 23 months old

Lincolnshire’s “absolutely terrible” potholes cost farmer over £19k

His fertiliser spreader broke apart after hitting a pothole

A pothole in Lincolnshire has cost a farmer more than £19,000 after it damaged his fertiliser spreader spilling the product all over the road.

Paul Bradley, who was driving in Mumby, near Alford, when the incident happened, has described the county’s roads as “absolutely terrible” and claims potholes haven’t been repaired properly, instead filled in with stones.

He said: “I was driving along and met a lorry coming the other direction, hit a pothole and… a link snapped and the fertiliser spreader hit the ground and deposited fertiliser onto the road.”

Of all the councils in England, Lincolnshire County Council has paid out the most in compensation to thousands of drivers for pothole damage.

Lincolnshire Council Council’s executive member for highways, Councillor Richard Davies, said: “As the council council we know extremely well how much the quality of the road network means to people here in Lincolnshire and we’ve worked really hard to make it very easy for them to get in touch with us about any issues they have.

“What we’re also seeing here is the public realisation of what we’re going to see more of in the future precisely because the highways maintenance fund has been so dramatically reduced.”