Residents in Milton Lilbourne are fed up of potholes in New Mill, which they say are some of the worst in Wiltshire.

Ken Bryant, 67, of Milkhouse Water, has lived in the area for more than 20 years and said the potholes have gradually grown worse over the past 13 years.

He said: “This lane was once a real rural idyll but an increase in traffic has really helped to beat it up.

“A lot of it is agricultural, which has to be expected, but an awful lot of it is HGVs. Some of the worst offenders are council lorries and verge cutters. The problem is when the HGVs are following their sat navs they come round here to avoid the low railway bridges. I’ve seen 50-tonne lorries down this lane.”

Wiltshire Council has carried out temporary repair work but Mr Bryant would like to see the whole road resurfaced. He said: “I get fobbed off every time I speak to Wiltshire Council. They deny it or note it or they say it’s going to be assessed.

“It’s got to the stage where you feel like they’re taking the Mickey. It’s impossible to deny any knowledge of this and what we need to know is why there is a reluctance to mend this road surface.

“Cycling and tourism are meant to be a priority for Wiltshire Council. We have a cracking set of holiday lodges, it’s a wonderful asset to the area, but people come down here and stay in a luxury cottage and they can’t go for a bike ride because of the state of the roads.”

A Wiltshire Council spokesperson said: “We apologise that work to maintain and repair this road has been delayed in the past. It is being rescheduled and we are awaiting confirmation of a start date.”