A disgruntled decorator has taken the issue of potholes into his own hands - by planting flowers in them. Harry Smith-Haggett said he was fed up with the state of the roads around his Horsham home and decided to raise awareness of the issue by filling them with soil and potted plants. Now, Harry and his "pretty potholes" project have gone viral on TikTok.
Harry, 22, said: "The road standards around me had been winding me up for quite some time. "I thought if I did something it might help the council get a shift on. "It might just be coincidence but all the planted ones have been tarmacked already so it might actually be working.
" @harry01403 Pretty potholes! #foryourpage #foryou #fyp #goviral #viralvideo #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #potholes #prettypotholes #fypp ♬ original sound - Harry Harry, who runs his own decorating and landscaping firm in Horsham, has made four "pretty potholes" so far and even has his own custom-made pink hi-viz jackets for the occasion. Harry, 22, with his custom pretty potholes hi viz jacket (Image: Harry Smith-Haggett / SWNS) He said he "doesn't mind paying for it myself because it has bothered me so much". Harry's antics have seen him shoot to viral fame on TikTok with his videos being viewed nearly two million times.
Harry hard at work filling a pothole (Image: Harry Smith-Haggett / SWNS) Recently the RAC revealed in a worrying report that potholes are a huge concern . RAC research suggested that pothole damage cost drivers on average £460 - with punctures, wheel damage and broken suspension springs the most commonly reported in the past 12 months. Some drivers, like Harry, get so frustrated with the motoring menace that they devise creative ways to capture the size of the problem.
Alan from Macclesfield told the RAC he climbed inside a crater and sent the pictures to his local council. According to the RAC, almost three-quarters of drivers said the condition of local roads they use regularly is poorer than a year ago. The motoring group said its research suggested the problem of potholes was worse in rural areas.
The Department for Transport said it was helping councils to fix "up to one million more potholes a year"..
