A local farmer, a disabled resident and a skip lorry were just three victims of potholes and sinkholes in the area last week. There have been dozens of reports of vehicles being damaged as large potholes keep appearing on the roads and one local resident, June Westlake, who lives in Penyard Lane has been virtually housebound as she cannot negotiate the potholes outside her home in her wheelchair.

A road was cordoned off in Kings Caple on Tuesday afternoon, March 5th, when a Quick Skip truck became stuck in an eight foot deep 'sinkhole' (pictured on page 2). The usual simple delivery of a skip became an altogether more complicated one after the front wheels of the truck became firmly wedged in the hole.

By Thursday afternoon, however, a team from Quick Skip had managed to free the truck with minimal damage. Quick Skip director Paul Lively praised the efforts of his team, the Council and local residents.

Meanwhile, at his Weir End Farm, Alistair Hunter Blair experienced his own sinking feeling with the discovery of a four foot deep hole. "It is," he told the Gazette, "likely to have been caused by drainage problems, so we will have to excavate the area and take some action."

For the full story please see this week's Ross Gazette.