‘One day I thought, that’s enough’: the people fighting back against pothole-riddled roads

A UK man has successfully used a 1980s law to force his local council to repair potholes, a victory that has energized a growing movement of citizen activists taking road repairs into their own hands [1]. Derek Bennett, a 68-year-old construction consultant, invoked Section 56 of the Highways Act 1980 in St Albans crown court to obtain an order compelling Hertfordshire county council to fix the damaged roads near his home [1]. The RAC reports a 90% increase in pothole-related claims since 2021, with 225 callouts per day in February—three times the rate of the previous year [1]. More than 53,000 people brought claims against local authorities for pothole damage in 2024 alone [1]. This legal action has resonated with a network of so-called 'pothole vigilantes' [1]. Harry Smith-Haggett, who beautifies road defects with plants on his TikTok account 'Pretty Potholes', stated, "The way councils treat us is pathetic" [1]. Others, like Mark Morrell (known as Mr Pothole), have campaigned for over a decade, founding National Pothole Day and advising a 300,000-member online community on how to file claims [1]. The issue has become politically charged, with the state of British roads ranking as the top concern for voters ahead of the May local elections [1]. The problem is exacerbated by increased traffic; there are now twice as many cars on the road as in 1990, and the average weight of a new car has nearly doubled [1]. While citizen action provides immediate pressure, the scale of disrepair suggests a systemic challenge requiring sustained investment and policy attention beyond individual legal victories.