Traders and shoppers react to Worthing sinkhole

WORTHING’S sinkhole has been described as ‘unusual’ as residents and traders reacted to the appearance of the hole in South Street, Tarring.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Jun 2015, 14:45 BST

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Sinkhole in South Street, Tarring, in WorthingSinkhole in South Street, Tarring, in Worthing
Sinkhole in South Street, Tarring, in Worthing

Workmen were on site quickly this morning (June 19) to fix the problem – much to the relief of Lynda Crane.

“I was pleased to see that the council responded so quickly. The workmen arrived before 9am this morning,” said the 66-year-old, of Ethelwulf Road.

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Meanwhile Dale Bradford, 44, the manager of South Street Trading, said: “You get traffic jams here at the best of times, but this will definitely cause disruption. I find it strange they haven’t put up any traffic lights up.

Sinkhole in South Street, Tarring, in WorthingSinkhole in South Street, Tarring, in Worthing
Sinkhole in South Street, Tarring, in Worthing

“I think there’s a safety risk with the traffic sharing one lane with no one managing it, particularly with the pedestrian crossing next to the hole in the road.”

The hole appeared around 7pm last night (June 18), with fire crews and police both called to the scene. Although the surface hole was only 18 inches in diameter, investigations showed there was a much larger hole underneath posing a risk to traffic.

“It’s very unusual for this area. We haven’t seen this sort of thing on the high street before,” said Linda Gurr, 62, of Westland Road.

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Margaret Nye, 72, of Castle Road, added: “I hope it get’s fixed before the rush hour starts. It gets very busy down here, especially with the traffic lights at the level crossing just down the road.”

But fortunately it seemed not too many traders were adversely affected.

Adam Novis, 32, of Athelstan Road, a barber at Davids Barbers on South Street, said: “Luckily, apart from the noise from the drilling and the extra traffic, it’s had no effect on the business.”

Underground video shows extent of Worthing sinkhole.

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Related topics:Traders