Skip to content

Council apologises for 'dancing' pothole repairer

Unknown Two men in orange and yellow hi-vis with white helmets are at the side of a road on which a pothole has been filled. One is watching from the pavement while the other appears to be jumping on the pothole. Both feet are off the ground and his knees are bent.Unknown
The video on TikTok shows a worker with both feet off the ground above a pothole

A council has apologised after a video was posted on social media showing a worked apparently "dancing" on a pothole to repair it.

West Northamptonshire Council described the footage as "embarrassing" and said it had been assured that the incident would not be repeated.

The council's contractor, Kier Highways, said that one of its supervisors had decided to undertake a "quick-fix" repair on a road in Moulton, Northamptonshire, which did not follow the firm's usual practice.

A permanent repair is due to be carried out on 16 January.

The video on the TikTok platform appears to show two workers in protective clothing at the side of a road.

One is watching from the pavement while the other jumps on a pothole that has been filled with a black substance.

Kier Highways confirmed that the incident took place in West Street, Moulton.

Anthony Bagot-Webb, the council's assistant cabinet member for highways, told a scrutiny committee meeting that the clip appeared to show a worker "dancing on a pothole filling the material in".

Google A road through a rural village. There is a pavement either side, beyond which is a grass verge on one side and a stone wall on the other. Two-storey stone houses are visible on the left. A person is walking down the pavement in the distance.Google
Kier Highways have confirmed the incident happened in West Street, Moulton

The authority's executive director of place and economy, Stuart Timmiss, told the meeting the video was "unfortunate" and "embarrassing".

He added: "On January 8, a supervisor went out on site to look at an area - it was a pothole that had already been raised for permanent repair.

"He thought while he was there he would provide some 'quick fix' so, unfortunately, what he did was fill the pothole in a way which isn't the standard and shouldn't have been done."

He said that the worker had "tried to be helpful and that backfired".

"I think it is embarrassing to Kier that they've been found that that practice has happened there. That won't ever happen again, I have been assured."

Potholes in West Northamptonshire made national headlines last year when a campaigner known as Daventry Banksie erected roadside signs protesting about the council's approach to road repairs.

Ollie Conopo/BBC Yellow JCB digger with basket on the end of an extendable arm. It is on a road with the word "SLOW" on one side. The road is lined by trees.Ollie Conopo/BBC
Pothole repairs in West Northamptonshire are usually carried out with equipment such as its JCB Pothole Pro

A Kier spokesperson said: "We are aware of a video circulating on social media showing a temporary road repair.

"The method used in this video isn't up to our usual standards, and we are taking the necessary steps to prevent a recurrence of this.

"The temporary fix poses no risk to the public, and a permanent repair will be completed on 16 January."

Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

More on this story
Related internet links