A HIGHWAYS worker facing criticism from the public about the way he and his fellow workers are dealing with potholes in the county says that workers on the streets are not to blame for the number of potholes on the county’s roads.

The worker, who wants to remain anonymous, said following last week’s article in the Wiltshire Times about potholes in Wyke Road, Trowbridge, he, along with his colleagues, have received a barrage of abuse from residents about how things should be done which, he argues, is out of his hands.

He said: “When you read letters and complaints, you do take it personally. It is not because we aren’t doing anything, it is because we are being prevented from doing it.

“We get sent reports and letters to say we are not doing our jobs right but that is what we are being told to do.

“We feel the brunt of comments because we get people coming out to say this work isn’t being done right and I know that but that’s the way we have been told to do it.”

Balfour Beatty Living Places previously held the £150m contract with the council to maintain the county’s road, which was terminated in September by mutual agreement two years ahead of schedule due to complaints.

Ringway were awarded the £15m contract in April, to last five years. The company will look after the maintenance of roads, street lights and pavements, clearing drains, gritting roads and emergency repairs.

It was recently announced that Wiltshire would receive £866,000 this year as part of the government’s Pothole Action Fund which is estimated to help fill up to 16,340 potholes in the next 12 months.

However, Wiltshire Council has said despite receiving many complaints, priority has to be given to potholes on main roads and those which can cause or have caused damage to vehicles.

A spokesman said: “We carry out regular safety inspections of all roads and footways, and arrange for any safety defects to be repaired. We will continue to invest more than ever to make sure roads are as safe as possible for the people who use them.”

Commenting on the Wyke Road potholes, he said: “In this case, the top surface of the road has come away, which does give the road user a poor ride but does not constitute a priority. We will of course continue to monitor the situation should it deteriorate further.”