Fordingbridge man’s annoyance after hitting pothole near Sandy Balls

Gary Burnett had just finished his shift as night manager at Sandy Balls, Fordingbridge, when he drove through a hidden pothole on Southampton Road. The impact “exploded” the tyre and scuffed the alloy of his new Peugeot 407. Mr Burnett was left in a state of shock and disbelief but said it could’ve been much worse if it hadn’t happened on a quiet Sunday night (December 3).

Gary Burnett is worried he’ll be left out of pocket. (Image: Gary Burnett) “It’s absolutely ridiculous. I could’ve gone into oncoming traffic.

That area is prone to serious flooding. I could not even see it,” he said. The estimated cost to fix the repair will total more than half of what Mr Burnett earned during his 15-hour night shift.

“It’s pretty rotten. I’m a normal working-class guy,” he added. Hampshire Council’s website states that more than 85 per cent of highway-related claims are rejected and Mr Burnett is worried he will be left out of pocket for ‘no fault of his own’.

The most common reasons for these rejections are that the claimants have no automatic right to compensation, the defect isn’t deemed legally ‘dangerous’ and the council’s argument that it took all reasonable steps to avoid the accident.

Hampshire Council has been contacted for further comment.