CALLS have been made for a dangerous road to be repaired before someone is seriously hurt in a crash.

Gardiners Lane North, Wickford, has been dubbed an “accident waiting to happen” `because of deep potholes, which become flooded with water whenever it rains.

Nigel le Gresley, Ukip county councillor for Wickford Crouch, and Malcolm Buckley, Tory councillor for the ward, have received numerous complaints from fed-up motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, who have to avoid the huge holes in the road.

Residents in nearby Borwick Lane complained of similar problems earlier this year.

Highways bosses at Essex County Council have agreed to carry out safety work on Gardiners Lane North and have included more permanent repairs in this year's budget, but Mr Gresley, who is also borough councillor in Wickford Castledon, said the issue should be treated with more urgency.

He said: “This road is not just a mess, but in my opinion and the opinion of residents, road users and the Ramsden Crays Parish Council, it is positively dangerous.

“It beggars belief the highways department consider this road to be a low priority and I can only assume it is following a strict code of practice that negates the use of common sense.

“This road has been the subject of a number of accidents over the years.

“In December a car skidded on ice which had filled a huge pothole and smashed into a telegraph pole.

“This road is not a priority route, but really should be, given the volume of traffic.

“Something really must be done to improve the safety on this road.”

Mr Buckley added: “I drive down that road regularly and it is quite bad. The potholes down there are fairly large.

“The repairs are being done, but the highways engineers have got to make the road good before they can carry out permanent work.”

Highways bosses have agreed to monitor Gardiners Lane North to see if the pothole problem worsens.

A spokesman for Essex County Council said: “Any issues identified during these inspections will be risk assessed and passed to our maintenance team to address in order of appropriate priority.”