Lymington: Yellow lines painted through Avenue Road potholes

People living at Avenue Road in Lymington thought the craters were going to be repaired when the route was closed for repairs.

They were astonished when the road reopened and the holes were still there - complete with wobbly lines.

Council workers have come under fire after painting double yellow lines through the centre of potholes (Image: Paul Whatley)

The town mayor, Cllr Jack Davies, has spoken out about the 'scandalous' situation.

He said: "I warned Hampshire County Council that they needed to repair the potholes before they painted double yellow lines.

"That they knew this and still went ahead and painted over the potholes is ridiculous. It's a scandalous waste of taxpayers' money."

Cllr Jack Davies (Image: Cllr Jack Davies) Benjamin Elks, grassroots development manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance, added: "Residents are sick of seeing councils paper over the cracks instead of actually tackling long-term problems faced in their area.

"Taxpayers have seen council tax levels explode, yet at the same time services have deteriorated.

"Town hall bosses should cut down on waste, boost productivity, and deliver the council that their residents expect."

Avenue Road is the home of Lymington and Pennington Town Council and the New Forest National Park Authority.

Hampshire County Council says it has launched an investigation into what has happened at Avenue Road (Image: Newsquest)

Paul Whatley, whose son lives in the town, said: "Signs appeared saying the road was going to be closed and we assumed the potholes were about to be repaired.

"But they painted double yellow lines through them instead. It's absolute madness. Someone hasn't got their head screwed on properly.

"There must be at least half a dozen potholes in Avenue Road. One is about two or three feet long and an inch deep."

Avenue Road is the home of Lymington Town Council and the New Forest National Park Authorityt (Image: Newsquest)

Now residents are waiting to discover if the holes will be left as they are or repaired and the lines repainted - at an additional cost to taxpayers.

A county council spokesperson told the Daily Echo: "Road repairs will be taking place in Avenue Road and the yellow lines will be replaced over the completed repairs.

"The original line painting was part of priority road safety work being carried out in the local community."

It is the latest in a series of incidents involving potholes and parking restrictions.

North Somerset Council angered residents in Weston-super-Mare by painting double yellow lines around a crater instead of fixing it, and Ramsbottom, near Manchester, saw a situation similar to the one in Lymington.

In 2007 contractors were criticised for painting wobbly white lines on the A337 Lyndhurst to Cadnam road while working in the dark.

County council bosses said the work was "unacceptable" and arranged for the lines to be repainted.