Poster campaign over Darwen's potholes

Hundreds of the bright yellow posters have been given out to shops along the A666 by David Scott, who owns Design hair salon in Blackburn Road.

A petition is also being prepared to try to put pressure on the town hall to take action.

The campaign has been backed by the council’s deputy leader, who admitted the busy road had become “a patchwork quilt” of potholes.

A number of the posters are already being displayed, in a move reminiscent of the town’s protest against the controversial A666 bus lane last year.

Mr Scott said his shop, and adjoining house, “shook like crazy” when cars drove over the poor road surface outside.

He said: “The last thing I want to do is campaign but I feel I have no choice.

“Our building and business has constant tremors caused by the heavy traffic hitting potholes while passing through Darwen and we are already seeing structural damage to our property.”

Mr Scott said he had been told by town hall bosses that the potholes were “not deep enough”.

He claimed temporary resurfacing work had made some patches of the road worse, and said the council could not blame the recent icy weather which has caused highways to crack.

Deputy council leader Tony Melia, who represents the Sunnyhurst ward, said: “I think the A666 is becoming a patchwork quilt and the highways department needs to get on top of it.

"Potholes are not just a problem in Blackburn with Darwen but for local authorities across the country.”

Peter Hunt, executive member for regeneration and environment, said: “We spend tens of thousands of pounds every year fixing potholes across the borough and making the roads safer.

"Now the snow has cleared, we are reviewing the situation to see what damage this winter has caused.

“We are aware of the problem on the A666. We are trialling some material this weekend to repair the potholes quickly and temporarily until a permanent repair can be made.

“However this will require extensive traffic control.”