18-02-2025
'Worrying' pothole which punctured grandmother's car left for weeks
A grandmother from Shotley says a "worrying" pothole which punctured her tyre in the early hours of the morning still requires repairs after it was first reported nearly a month ago.
Pip Mellish, 61, was on her way to babysit her three grandchildren at around 6.50am on February 11 when she was travelling down the B1457 in Shotley towards the junction with Church Walk, near Ipswich.
As she was driving down the dark road she felt her car hit a pothole and soon after she heard hissing coming from her passenger-side tyre.
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Mrs Mellish was driving down the B1456 in the dark when the incident happened. (Image: Pip Mellish) The compliance auditor from Shotley said: "When I found somewhere safe to stop, I went to pump it up.
"I then found the tyre was damaged on the rim and you could hear the air just hissing out.
"The tyre was wrecked."
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The 61-year-old's tyre was punctured and the rim of the wheel was also damaged. (Image: Pip Mellish) After some investigation, Mrs Mellish found that the pothole had also been reported by another driver on the same day as the incident.
The portal also shows the pothole was also reported to the authorities on February 2, more than three weeks ago.
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Yellow lines have now been drawn round the pothole but it has not yet been repaired. (Image: Pip Mellish) A spokesman for Suffolk Highways says repairs for the pothole have now been ordered under a 10-working day order, so repairs are expected within the next week.
The authority also recently repaired another pothole along the road but the one that damaged Mrs Mellish's car is still waiting for repairs.
Pip Mellish is from Shotley and enjoys looking are her grandchildren and spending time with animals. (Image: Pip Mellish) The 61-year-old grandmother added: "It's bizarre that they would fix that one and not the pothole that damaged my car as well.
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The road was recently closed to fixthis pothole, but the one that caused damage to Mrs Mellish's car remains unrepaired. (Image: Pip Mellish)
"It is really worrying as you don't see it until you are on it and then it is too late.
"Although the one they mended was worse, you would think they would fix both.
"I am very lucky really as this could have been much worse.
Pip Mellish says she hopes the pothole is repaired soon to prevent a more dangerous incident from occurring. (Image: Pip Mellish)
"It was not just an inconvenience for me but also for my daughter, who was waiting for me to look after the grandkids.
"Hopefully it can be fixed soon now they have put the circle around it and ordered the repairs."
