Seven of the worst potholes reported around Watford in January

Locals have raised some of the worst in their area through local councillors, social media, directly to Hertfordshire County Council at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/highwayfaults, and through website FixMyStreet.

The county council fixes more than 21,000 potholes in an average year and says it is currently prioritising the most hazardous after a period of snow and ice followed by cold and wet conditions.

Cllr Phil Bibby, who is responsible for highways, said: “We know the condition of our roads matters to residents, and it matters to us to.”

Below are seven of the worst spotted in January.

Councillor Steve Cox in South Oxhey (Image: Cllr Steve Cox)

On January 11, Labour councillors Stephen Cox and Stephen King donned hi-vis jackets and spent two and a half hours on “pothole patrol” in South Oxhey.

The example pictured was the largest they saw.

“When I measured it, I thought it was more of a crater than a pothole,” said Cllr Cox.

The hole in Oxhey Drive which reportedly burst a tyre (Image: FixMyStreet)An “extremely deep” pothole in South Oxhey reportedly burst a car tyre, according to a user on FixMyStreet.

The hole in Oxhey Drive was initially reported to Hertfordshire County Council in December and was still there earlier this month.

Carl Turner, 46, told the Watford Observer he had to fork out £370 on New Year’s Day after two of his tyres were ruined by a hole in Prestwick Road, South Oxhey.

The pothole that Mr Turner says damaged his tyres is on Prestwick Road, South Oxhey (Image: Carl Turner)

Labour Councillor Asif Khan tweeted out a picture of a particularly bad issue in Gammons Lane on January 29.

He said: “Gammons Lane is riddled with crater sized potholes.

“These have been reported but still need to be repaired.”

Gammons Lane is riddled with crater sized potholes. These have been reported but still need to be repaired.
I'm still waiting for a date the whole road is going to be resurfaced. pic.twitter.com/TVpLsbw7Fl

— CllrAsifK💙 (@AKatWatford) January 29, 2023

A woman says she was left in “agony” after she stepped in a Bovingdon High Street pothole and fell forward on January 12.

Ms Austen, a headhunter, said she had to "crawl back to the kerb quickly” to get out of the way of cars.

The pothole in Bovingdon High Street (Image: Lucy Austen)

Labour Councillor Nigel Bell says he reported a pothole in High View, in the Holywell estate, on January 22 but is still waiting for it to be fixed as it gets “wider and deeper by the day”.

Nigel Bell/pothole on the Holywell estate (Image: Nigel Bell)

A "fourteen-foot-long" pothole was reported via FixMyStreet on January 4. The damage, in Oxhey Way was apparently a "serious hazard" with cars forced to swerve to avoid it.

14 foot long pothole in Oxhey Way (Image: FixMyStreet)