Drivers using the A1307, between Haverhill and Cambridge, launch petition calling for Cambridgeshire County Council and Suffolk County council to fix potholes

Drivers in Haverhill have launched a petition calling for immediate action to fix potholes, fearing someone will be seriously hurt before local authorities deal with the ongoing issue.

A petition, started last week by Dom Basham, 49, of Haverhill, has already been signed by more than 300 residents, frustrated with the state of the A1307 - which runs from the town to Cambridge.

Dom, who commutes to work at Cambridge University every day is urging more drivers to sign the petition – which demands the immediate repair of potholes on Cambridgeshire roads – on the change.org website.

He said: “We all complain about the roads and rightly so, but unless we pull our fingers out and sign it, nothing will change.”

Dom and his partner Jai Bosdet, 46, own classic cars and said that when they drove over potholes it felt like the vehicle would fall apart and leave them with just the chassis.

Jai, who is a carer in the community, said: “Who has got to be seriously hurt or killed before they take notice?”

“I certainly don’t want to be one of them and I definitely don’t want my partner to be, knowing he travels that stretch day in, day out.”

Although Cambridgeshire County Council has filled in potholes recently, Jai said: “They are constantly reopening. Every time a car tyre goes over a pothole they have filled, it’s lifting and crumbling. It’s getting extremely dangerous now and unless we stand up for ourselves we won’t get any answers.

“They leave it until it gets so bad, we pay road tax to maintain our road, then we are paying hundreds of pounds to get our tyres changed or alloys replaced or repaired.

“It's like putting a plaster over a bad gash, if it's not dressed properly, it will open back up and that's what's happening with our roads.”

Calum Gartlan, 22, who lives in Haverhill with his girlfriend for part of the week, had the idea of setting up a GoFundMe page so the community could donate towards materials so that his landscaping company could take action and fill in the potholes.

Last week Calum posted in a Haverhill Facebook group after he saw four broken down vehicles by the side of the A1307, next to what he called the ‘famous pothole’.

Calum, who owns CG Maintenance, was unsuccessful in his attempts to contact the council about his idea.

However, he has been made aware that if he fills in the potholes without permission he will be liable for any damage sustained to vehicles.

In recent weeks drivers have also complained about the state of the A143 between Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire County Council said: “Highways maintenance is a top priority of the council, and we’re working hard to prevent potholes. We have just committed to investing £23 million into making highways, footpaths, and cycleways safer – on top of a recently announced government allocation of an additional £2.3 million.

“This will be to deliver improvements which both repair and prevent potholes, deliver improved drainage schemes, and reinstate cycleway maintenance and weed clearance.

“We’d urge people to continue reporting any potholes or highway faults using our online tool. It's easy to use and flags any faults which have not yet been marked.”

Suffolk County Council confirmed repairs were planned to take place soon along the A1307, Withersfield Road.