A COUNCILLOR'S claim that Swindon only has 19 potholes which need repairing has been widely mocked by Adver readers.

Councillor Dale Heenan claimed in a series of tweets that the Swindon Conservatives pledge of repairing "100 per cent [of potholes] within 10 days" was being met.

He tweeted on Tuesday: "As of yesterday, there were just 19 outstanding. 19. Think about that. 19 potholes."

Swindon's Labour councillors disputed these figures. 

They said: "Anyone who has driven in Swindon (or, more accurately, sat in roadwork queues in Swindon) knows that there are clearly there are more than 19 potholes in the town." 

Many Adver readers similarly suggested there were far more faults in the borough's roads than that.

Tom Smith said: “Yes, if you ignore all the potholes that are less than 40mm deep - and there are a lot of them!

"By their definition a road with 10 potholes all 39.99mm deep, is a perfectly functioning road without potholes.”

Gemma Tevendale wondered: “19 on every street?”

Chris Plaister said: “I saw that many on the way home.”

Tina Hughes suggested: “[He] needs to get an urgent appointment at Specsavers.”

June Young said: “Our street is falling apart and every road I go on has potholes.”

Neil Webb added: “He could be right, most of them are joined up now.”

Martin Elphick said: “I can only assume someone ran out of fingers and toes, and left a margin of error.”

Katie Stewart said: “Did he just survey one road and leave the rest?”

A pothole is damage to a road which is deeper than 40mm. Sometimes the damage falls outside of this criteria so isn't defined as a pothole.

Coun Heenan cited a statistic from Swindon Borough Council's website which reveals that between April 2021 and the end of March 2022, the council repaired 10,769 potholes.

Still, some readers think more should be done to make the repairs last longer.

Gill Nobbs said: "Watched a pothole with water in it have a pit of tarmac chucked in before being flattened. First bit of rain, a few cars over it or some frost and it will be worse than before with loose tarmac to contend with, and a risk of paint chips, windscreen damage and skidding."

Sue Taylor added: "Very true need sorting out there getting worse and causing cars to get damaged."

Julie Roberts said: "They don’t really ‘fix’ them though do they? Just fill them in and 24 hours later, they are back."

Robert Jordan said: "Upham Road, twice fixed (the last time about a month ago), is sagging again and needs urgent repair."

Daniel Spencer said: "The ones many see are not classed as requiring to be fixed!"

Colin Jones said: “Victoria Hill is suffering from subsidence but [there is] just more tarmac chucked in the hole.”