A TRAVELLING salesman is threatening legal action after his car was damaged by a pothole which Blackburn with Darwen Council said had been fixed.

Ron Cowgill was told by the council’s insurers Zurich there had been no complaints about the main road surface of Yew Tree Drive since it was repaired on February 6, 10 weeks before his incident.

But the firm then accidentally supplied him with official documents showing four other motorists had reported potholes in the same place near there the A6119 joins Preston New Road over that ‘complaint-free’ period.

Mr Cowgill, of Ramsgreave Drive, Pleckgate, said: “On April 20 I was driving from my home down Yew Tree Drive when I hit a pothole near the junction with Preston New Road where the old Moat House Hotel used to be. I normally avoided them, several of them, but someone was overtaking me so I had no choice.

“It turned out that I needed a new tyre costing me £108 and lost two days work worth £300. I am self-employed so cannot work if I have no car.

“I spoke to the council who referred me to their insurers and after a lot of phone calls got a letter from Zurich Insurance telling me I had no right to compensation as the road had been inspected on January 31 and the potholes repaired on February 6.

“I was losing the will to keep going until I noticed they said that ‘there were no reports of any other potholes prior to your accident occurring’ and then read supporting official documents they also sent to me.

“These recorded four separate reports of potholes at exactly the same place on February 24, March 8, March 15 and April 2, exactly in the period they said there had been no complaints.

“I don’t think they ever repaired the potholes because the chalk marks from the inspection were still there when I hit one of them.

“I am now considering taking this as far as I can, including legal action. They just seem to be trying to fob me off now.”

George Bell, associate director of highways at the council, said: “The matter is in the hands of the council’s insurers so we are unable to comment on the details of the case.”