'Pothole World' sign mocks county's roads

A tongue-in-cheek sign criticising a local authority's approach to potholes has appeared on the side of a busy road.

The sign, which says "Oxon Highways presents: Pothole World", has been erected next to the A41 near Bicester.

Appearing to be pointing at the road, the banner features the taglines "fun for the hole family" and "guaranteed to drive you potty".

Oxfordshire County Council, which is responsible for the county's roads, said it repaired 41,000 potholes in 2024.

It is not known who is behind the sign, or exactly when it appeared on the roadside, but it has proved popular on local Facebook groups.

One comment called the banner "brilliant", whilst another said the "rotten roads" were costing locals their "hard earned cash to repair damage" to their vehicles.

In a statement to the BBC, the council said: "We welcome people drawing our attention to potholes and other highway defects so we can inspect them and schedule them for repairs, depending on their severity."

"However, there is no need for people to go to the trouble of creating elaborate banners."

The council instead pointed people to its Fix My Street platform to make it aware of pothole locations.

It added that its highways team aimed to repair any unsafe defect within 28 days, with dangerous potholes repaired within 24 hours.

At the area around the sign, which has been installed near Blackthorn Bridge, the authority said it had identified patching and resurfacing schemes but no dates had yet been set for the work.

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