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Daventry signs mock 'Grand Canyon' potholes

Martin Heath/BBC Car driving past a sign saying Welcome to Pot Hole CityMartin Heath/BBC
A sign on the Daventry to Long Buckby road claims that the town should be twinned with the Grand Canyon

Signs have appeared which claim a town should be "twinned with the Grand Canyon" due to the number of pot holes on its roads.

The hand-painted boards in Daventry, Northamptonshire, welcomed drivers to "Pot Hole City" and "Pot Holy Island".

Another sign warns drivers to "hold on tight".

West Northamptonshire Council has yet to comment on the signs. It introduced a £165,000 Pothole Pro machine to fix damaged roads earlier this year.

Martin Heath/BBC 'Pot Holy Island' sign on a grass traffic islandMartin Heath/BBC
The signs have created plenty of discussion in Daventry

The identity of the phantom sign painter is not known but the notices have prompted plenty of discussion and debate in Daventry. One sign reads: "Welcome to Pot Hole City - twinned with Grand Canyon."

One driver claimed on social media that he was now "£124.86 out of pocket" after hitting a gap in the road surface.

Another said that he has "gone through three tyres and two coil springs in the last two years, costing in the region of £800!".

Martin Heath/BBC "Hold on tight" sign on blue railings in the middle of a roundabout. A white van is passing.Martin Heath/BBC
Another sign on a busy ring road roundabout urges drivers to "hold on tight"
Martin Heath/BBC A red car passes a "hole after hole" sign on railings on a roundaboutMartin Heath/BBC
A sign attached to railings in the centre of a roundabout warns of "hole after hole"

One motorist thought the signs might make a difference. She wrote: "Maybe this is the answer, perhaps it takes road signs like this for them to take notice."

Another local resident added: "Maybe, just maybe, if enough were put up the council would get on board and start repairing the holes."

Under the Highways Act 1980, anyone who attaches a sign to any structure on a highway without permission from the highway authority or a reasonable excuse "is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine".

West Northamptonshire Council has been asked to comment on the signs.

Martin Heath/BBC Section of road surface, showing cracks and small water-filled holesMartin Heath/BBC
Some roundabouts, particularly in areas of town used by heavier vehicles, appear to be in a poor condition
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