Disabled blue badge holder puts massive pothole up for sale on eBay as drivers 'suffer'
Disabled blue badge holder puts massive pothole up for sale on eBay as drivers 'suffer'
SWNS
A disabled blue badge holder has put a massive pothole up for sale on eBay as part of a protest about the unacceptable state of the roads.
Paul Webb, 71, was fed up with the state of the roads near his Devon home.
The business owner, from South Molton, wanted to “think outside the box” to force Devon County Council to intervene.
Webb decided to list the pothole for auction on online selling website eBay for just £10.
South Molton is a rural village in Devon
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The grandfather accepts the post was a joke but argued there is a serious issue, particularly for disabled residents.
He said: “Someone will lose their life to this if things aren't improved.
“It's the worst condition I've seen them in and I've lived here all my life.”
Webb, who suffers from back pain, is demanding the council guarantee “blemish-free” roads like in nearby Cornwall.
He added: “Everybody is suffering. I lost two tyres to potholes on my Range Rover - imagine what it's like for people with normal cars.
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“Nobody seems to give a toss.”
No eBay users put down bids on the pothole but the posting attracted 500 “watchers”.
Webb decided to take down the listing with eight hours to go amid concern someone could actually purchase the pothole.
A Devon County Council spokesperson said: “Road maintenance investment is a national issue.
“The backlog of carriageway repairs in England and Wales has reached £14.02billion, and in Devon it is over £200million.
A picture of County Hall in Devon
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“The Government's additional £9.4million announced at the Spring Budget to help tackle this has been very welcome.
“But given that inflation remains high, severe weather events are more frequent and that Devon has 8,000 miles of roads, the largest network in England, this only partially addresses the sheer scale of the challenge we face.
“Nevertheless, our Highways and Traffic Management Service has continued to focus on reviewing and improving current working practices to increase efficiency and reduce disruption, something the National Highway and Transport Network (NHT) recognises.
“Their recent benchmarking data shows us to be an efficient highways authority which strives to squeeze the maximum from our limited resources.
“We are investing £66million in highways and bridge maintenance in 2023/24, this includes the additional £9.4million from Government and a further £500,000 from our own efficiency savings.”