Rod Stewart: Video prompts pothole DIY repair warning

A council has urged people not to try to repair potholes themselves after Sir Rod Stewart was filmed doing it.

Instagram videos showed the singer, 77, shovelling gravel near his home near Harlow, Essex, claiming drivers were "bashing their cars up" on the road.

His post was liked more than 75,000 times in a day and prompted comments praising his actions.

An Essex County Council cabinet member warned anyone attempting to repair a road could become liable for accidents.

Lee Scott, who is responsible for highways maintenance at the authority, said: "You can't take matters into your own hands.

"People must always report potholes to the council and we will fix anything that's dangerous."

In the Instagram post, Sir Rod claimed the road had been in need of repair "for ages" but that "no-one can be bothered to do it".

Dressed in a tracksuit and high-vis vest, he explained why he and "the boys" decided to fix it themselves.

"People are bashing their cars up. The other day, there was an ambulance with a burst tyre. My Ferrari can't go through here at all," he said.

Mr Scott promised he would "endeavour to rectify it" and asked for an officer report as quickly as possible.

He said: "All road repairs have to be done to a professional level or the person doing it could become liable for any problems or accidents".

He added he would be happy to arrange a meeting with the singer to discuss the issue.

The BBC has approached Sir Rod for comment.

Dominic Zarian from the area spent about £130 on car repairs after being unable to avoid "a massive crack" in the road, which he says he reported to the council four weeks ago.

He said: "That road is dark, when it's wet it can be treacherous. Someone's going to get hurt."

Essex County Council's pothole webpage said all reports were inspected but "the timescale for the repair depends on the risk assessment and which type of road the pothole is on".

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