A MUM is calling for the council to take action over potholes after she was left stranded on a busy dual carriageway junction with her three-week-old son.

New parents Rebeka and David Kay from Rawtenstall said they and their three-week-old son had a 'terrifying' near miss when the front wheel of the family car was destroyed by a pothole while exiting the A56 onto New Hall Hay Road.

The 34-year-old said the wheel was jammed at a 45 degree angle after going over a pothole, forcing the vehicle into the right hand lane, blocking the road.

She said:"My three-week-old son was in the car with us, it was terrifying.

"All I could think about was getting him out and away from the car.

"We were blocking the road, so anyone coming off the motorway at speed would have hit us."

Mrs Kay said a motorist saw the family and offered her and the baby a lift home, however Mr Kay was forced to wait on the busy junction.

She said: "Thankfully, a very kind lady stopped and gave my son and I a lift home.

"But even when we were safely away, my husband had to wait on the side of the road for the police to arrive.

"It was so dangerous, it's a fifty mile an hour road, so anyone coming off at speed would have gone straight into him.

"The though of what could have happened if the lady hadn't gotten us away still terrifies me."

Mrs Kay said potholes in that stretch of road had been reported to the Lancashire County Council five times since February 22.

She said: "Rawtenstall is terrible for potholes.

"Five reports have been made about them on that piece of road, and that's only since last month.

"I really want them fixing because next time it could be so much worse, the next family might not be so lucky.

"It was a fifty road and we were only doing forty and it almost ripped the front wheel off, imagine what would have happened if we had been doing the speed limit.

"We've reported it to the council and have been sent a claims form for the damage but it will be months before we get the money.

"We're going to be hundreds of pounds out of pocket until it comes through so I hope something good can come from all this."

MP for Rossendale and Darwen Jake Berry said he will be 'pressing' for the increased highways budget to be spent on Rossendale roads.

He said: "I was very concerned to hear about this incident and have already contacted Lancashire County Council's Highways Team asking for repairs to be carried out on this section as a matter of urgency.

"The recent poor weather has lead to a number of local roads across the Valley deteriorating to an even worse state.

"I'm encouraged that Lancashire County Council have recognised that we need a massive improvement in our local roads, they have just increased our highways budget to a record £50 million and I will pressing for as much of this as possible to be spent on our local roads across Rossendale. '

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said staff are working hard to tackle the pothole issue.

She said: "Work on this section of road began on Wednesday after it was reported to our Highways department.

"Repairs had been due to take place last week but unfortunately the work had to be postponed because of the snowy conditions in the area.

"Potholes remain one of the council's top priorities and our staff are working hard to tackle this issue.

"We have also put £10m into this year's budget to fix potholes, as well as make structural repairs, which will help to prevent them appearing in the first place."