RESIDENTS in a Watchet street fear they may be living in the most potholed road in England after highways staff ignored their pleas for two years.

They include one of West Somerset’s oldest residents, 101-year-old Sheila Nicholls, who lives with husband Bill in Whitehall.

Neighbour Brian Pankhurst, aged 79, said six people had suffered falls because of the uneven surface, two of whom had to be taken to hospital for treatment.

Mr Pankhurst said: “There are at least 20 potholes in just 100 yards.

“Some of the potholes are so big they are like bomb craters.

“It is just getting intolerable.”

Somerset Council, however, has blamed the neighbours themselves for the state of the road surface, even though between them there were only about four cars which used the street.

Mr Pankhurst said the council even suggested the residents could arrange to repair the potholes themselves.

He said: “They said we could do it ourselves and fix them, as if we are made of money and can afford to do it.

“I know they must be short of money, but they were not short of money when they did the cycle track from Dunster to Minehead which nobody uses, and probably cost them more than £1 million.

“We are all elderly people down here. My partner is 94. I feel quite young really, being 80 next year.”

Mr Pankhurst said rather than residents’ cars, the problems were caused more by large council lorries and other vehicles such as supermarket delivery vans and ‘white van man’ turning round to exit the dead end road.

Whitehall leads on to the former West Somerset Mineral Line, the 11-mile long route of a Victorian-era railway which carried iron ore from the Brendon Hills to Watchet Harbour and is now a popular walk connecting the town to the village of Washford.

Mr Pankhurst said: “We raised a petition signed by residents and sent it to the highways people but they said it was nothing to do with them.

“So, we went to Watchet Town Council who raised it and they were told it is the residents’ cars that are causing the problem.”

He eventually received an email from Somerset Council in October last year saying it would ‘look at’ the road and notify residents of any actions which were proposed to be taken.

However, Mr Pankhurst said nothing further had been heard from the council.

A spokesperson for Somerset Council said: “We are looking into ownership of the land and who has responsibility for its repair. 

“While there are some potholes, the lane which carries a public footpath, is still accessible for walkers.”