Middlesbrough Council fills potholes after penis graffiti protest

Potholes have been filled in days after penis graffiti was painted around them.

The phallic symbols were sprayed around a number of potholes on roads in Middlesbrough earlier this week.

Middlesbrough Council said a road-mending team that was already in the Acklam area acted to fix the phallus-adorned potholes once it was made aware of them.

Resident Brad Nicholson said the potholes had been there for more than a year, adding: "The power of the willy."

Mr Nicholson, who shared a picture of a filled-in pothole on Facebook, said they appeared two years ago but only became a problem about a year ago.

He said he did not know who painted the penises, but added: "It's about time something was done about all the potholes in Middlesbrough."

A spokesman for Middlesbrough Council said: "Middlesbrough, like all local authority areas in the country, has issues with potholes and repairs are carried out on a priority basis determined by the risk they pose to highway users.

"Currently, however, we are carrying out pre-planned works in the Acklam area and staff were able to visit the nearby site on Fane Grove when the matter was reported to us and have patched over the hole."

In January, Essex County Council pledged to act after a similar protest in Saffron Walden.