Pothole havoc

Among them was Nyetimber man Ben Burns. He was driving towards Barnham at about 6pm. He said: "When I came around the corner at Lidsey, I saw loads of stationary cars with their hazard warning lights on.

"Almost immediately, I hit the pot hole. I heard a loud bang and felt the van lurch violently to the left and the steering became heavy. It must have been a drastic hole. I would guess it had to be six inches deep at least."

So many vehicles were parked nearby that Mr Burns (22), a self-employed hardwood floor layer, had to drive slowly for several hundred metres past the road's double bend into the farm entrance before he could stop safely.

"There must have been five other cars there having their front near side wheels changed.

Traffic officers solved the problem by parking a car by the hole or blocking it off '“ it was not clear the next day '“ before the council's workmen arrived.

He added that an inspector visited the site late the following day to ensure the repair was holding up.