What can this pothole tell us about the state of UK roads? 10/Jun/2026

This pothole was merely one of more than a million that blight our roads. Measuring 60cm (24in) wide and 10cm (4in) deep, it stood on a busy suburban route in Colchester. Department for Transport (DfT) data shows potholes and other road defects have played a role in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries during the past decade, and opinion polls suggest they are among the top issues for voters. Such concerns led Essex County Council's new Reform UK-led administration to declare a "pothole emergency", setting out funding to increase the number of repair teams from nine to 12. This otherwise unremarkable pothole, which emerged from the crumbling ruins of a previous patch-up job, pre-dates that initiative, but how long would it take to be noticed, reported and fixed? And how long would that fix last? To find out, the BBC spent more than a year monitoring it. #pothole #potholesUK #potholes2026