A STREET plagued with potholes in Darwen has been labelled one of the worst in the borough by a councillor.

Sudell councillor Roy Davies said Powell Street, between Richmond Terrace and Industry Street, was in desperate need of repair.

But, he claimed, despite Blackburn with Darwen Council contractors from Capita acknowledging the state of the road surface, they had refused to repair it.

Council officials said although they had launched a programme of road repairs, they had to prioritise the most-used routes. Coun Davies said: “I spoke to Capita about the road and they agreed it wanted recovering but it is not going to be done. They say there may be funds next year to do it but it is not on the long-term plan.”

Coun Davies said some holes had been filled in, but not enough and not to a high standard.

He said: “They sent someone up and filled in probably 20-odd holes, but not very well, and there was no sealant on them.

“I looked at where they have done it and it looks like someone has just thrown a bit of Tarmac in and then the biggest bloke has gone over and stamped it down a bit.”

He said he had complained but heard nothing, adding: “It is about the worst I have seen anywhere in Darwen or even the whole borough.”

Coun Jim Smith, executive member for environment at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said the road would be fixed. He said: “Even with the massive cuts the council has suffered we are making a £10m investment into our roads.

“We are dedicated to maintaining the borough’s roads and I guarantee that Powell Street will be on the list for work in the coming year.

“Powell Street is inspected every six months as part of our safety defects policy, which identifies and arranges repair of significant hazards. Our records show that the condition of this road has deteriorated in the last six months so this will be a priority.”