Former Chippenham mayor Mike Plum is so fed up with the state of his road that he has taken matters into his own hands.

Mr Plum, 71, says he and his neighbours in Brookwell Close cannot wait any longer for the dozens of potholes to be filled in by Wiltshire Council.

So armed with Tarmac and a shovel he has decided to solve the problem himself.

He said: “We have been living with this mess for so long that I decided to buy some Tarmac and start filling them in. I thought it might get Wiltshire Council moving.”

Mr Plum, who was the mayor of Chippenham in 1978, has spoken to his local councillor about the holes, without success.

“I have lived here since 1984 and nothing has ever been done – as far as I know the road hasn’t been touched since it was built in 1960,” he said. “What are we paying our rates for if things like this aren’t done?”

Mr Plum said his neighbours all feel that the road needs repairs desperately – before they suffer expensive car repair bills or accidents.

“All of my neighbours think it is disgusting, and my next door neighbour said he has had problems with his car suspension,” he said.

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: “We would ask people to contact the council’s highways hotline if they are concerned about a particular stretch of road. There is only limited funding available for repairs, so our priority is always the busiest and most severely damaged roads.”

To report road defects call Clarence on 0800 232323.