Concerns raised over 'lack of safety' at roadworks

Councillors in Rutland are launching an investigation after a contractor was spotted repairing potholes in rush hour with just a bucket and no safety measures.

Mark Chatfield and Samantha Harvey said they saw the workman on the B640 Barleythorpe Road in Oakham and relayed details to Rutland County Council's scrutiny meeting on Thursday.

Independent member Ms Harvey said the incident was so unusual she "thought she was dreaming", the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

The council's principal highways engineer said it was not what was expected from contractor Thomas Bow, which has been approached for comment by the LDRS.

Describing the scene as shocking, Ms Harvey said she was returning from Leicester one morning when she was "horrified" to see no cones or other safety measures in place around the roadworks.

She said she wanted reassurance it had been raised with the contractor "because having workmen in a major highway at rush hour with not even a cone and just a little bucket" was an issue.

"[There was] just some chap on his knees in the middle of the road, on an open road, filling in a long stretch," she said.

"I did actually think I was dreaming... I was flabbergasted."

Mr Chatfield, who represents the Liberal Democrats on Rutland County Council, also saw the workman and said it "looked so unprofessional it was untrue".

Andrew Tapp, the authority's principal highways engineer, Thomas Bow, taken over the had contract from Tarmac in May last year.

"From a council perspective, that is not what we expect of our contractor," he said.

"We have done our own internal investigation, we have made sure our process was okay and fine, therefore we have now left it with the contractor to do their formal investigation.

"They are aware of our high-level concerns around that and they are taking it seriously."

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