Mum counts 125 A27 potholes she worries could claim someone's life

Becki Dicker and her husband Mike often drive on the A27 to Southampton General Hospital for their daughter’s appointments, but she fears the surface could cause a fatal accident one day.

The pair say they counted a staggering 125 potholes on the westbound road between Chichester’s Tesco Extra and the Emsworth turn off, but Highways England has disagreed.

Mum-of-two Becki said: “I am fed up driving along that road and having to avoid them. Some of them are turning into big craters.

“They are dangerous and they are getting worse.

“The bottom line is there is going to be an accident – it could end up being a fatality it is so bad.”

It was when took her daughter to hospital last week that she finally decided that enough was enough and counted the potholes.

She took to Twitter to call on Highways England to fix the problem, but said she has had ‘not had much response.’

Becki, 45, added: “The road needs resurfacing big time. The bottom line is it is down to funding.”

A Highways England spokesman said: “We keep the condition of the A27 continually under review.

“We inspect its road surface weekly and repair any defects that pose a safety risk within 24 hours.

“The A27 is a mainly concrete road with a thin layer of black asphalt on top: although the worn out sections of asphalt may be unsightly the dips are very shallow and it is not accurate to describe them as potholes.

“We have plans to resurface the A27 before 2021 and we’re actively looking at whether we can bring this forward.”

Potholes are usually caused when rainwater below the road surface freezes. Cars on the road can then cause the road surface to deteriorate.

You can report a pothole you think is dangerous by calling Highways England on 0300 123 5000.

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