In Cornwall, England, law enforcement and the Public Works Department are searching for a mysterious motorist who bravely took matters into their own hands and filled a massive pothole with cement. This act of vigilantism came after the road at the top of Tanhouse Road and Bodmin Hill in Lostwithiel was officially closed due to the deteriorating surface caused by ongoing drainage issues.
Unfortunately, after a month of inactivity from the authorities, frustration grew among the locals who were inconvenienced by the giant pothole. One anonymous individual decided to step up and fill the pothole themselves over the first weekend of May. This DIY repair temporarily solved the problem and the road was reopened. However, the Cornwall Council’s road repair company, Cormac, closed the road once again because their team hadn’t officially carried out the repair.
Now, the search is on to find the person responsible. Cornwall Highways is determined to identify the anonymous individual who not only fixed the pothole but also removed the signs without permission.
In response to the backlash, Cornwall Highways mentioned that the road was originally set to be closed until June 9th as they were catching up with a backlog of pothole repairs. Additionally, they kindly requested the community’s assistance in identifying the motorist, stating, “If information regarding who carried out the works becomes known in the community, I would be grateful if details could be shared.”
Colin Martin, the Cornwall councilor for Lanreath and Lostwithiel, expressed his frustration and compared the pothole situation to the overall underinvestment in the public sector. He said, “This pothole is a perfect metaphor for the way that the entire public sector is crumbling due to underinvestment.”
Mr. Martin further explained that the road has been closed once again and will remain closed until Cormac properly repairs it. However, due to budget cuts for road resurfacing and proactive maintenance, the repairs could take weeks as all available teams have been diverted to filling smaller potholes on other open roads. He criticized the short-sighted decision made by the Conservatives running Cornwall Council, noting that potholes are now appearing faster than Cormac can fix them.
This incident is not the first time a citizen has taken it upon themselves to address an issue in their community. In 2017, a resident of Toronto built a set of park stairs for a community garden at a fraction of the city’s estimated cost. Although the city authorities were unhappy with this action, there was more to the story. Keep reading to find out what they did next.
