After ‘Wanksy’ got his spray can out to make Rochdale council take action on potholes earlier in the year, someone’s now adopted the same approach in Fetcham, Surrey. Cock Lane’s apparently inspirational name has combined with potholes and subsidence issues to result in a whole series of painted penises highlighting the poor road surface.
Local resident Polly Birkbeck told Get Surrey that she had spotted the culprit’s handiwork while taking her daughter to school on Tuesday morning.
"I drive down there every day on the school run and today I said to my daughter 'hang on a minute, someone's drawn willies on the road'.
"There are about 15 of them, I stopped the car and counted. They're on all the bad bits of the road, it's a sort of protest by someone with a smutty sense of humour.
"That stretch of road is really annoying, it's terribly uneven, I guess the council will just scrub them off but I'm surprised they haven't fixed this bit of road, it's been like that for years.
"It's possibly a way to highlight the issue and galvanise someone into action. It did make me smile – it's quite surprising to see, you don't get much graffiti around here. I have absolutely no idea who did it, but it must have taken a while."
Another local, Ian Routledge, said that Cock Lane had issues along its entire length.
“This has been an issue for at least two years. No-one from the council will have a sensible conversation with you about what needs to be done. It is clear to see that the foundations of the road have gone for the whole length of the road – not just Cock Lane. We just get fobbed off all the time.”
A Surrey County Council spokesman said that the artist would be ‘cock-a-hoop’ to know that the road is due to be resurfaced as part of the £100 million Operation Horizon scheme which is overhauling many of the county’s roads most in need of repair.
However, Operation Horizon is now in its third year and while Cock Lane had been earmarked for attention in the first year, work was deferred due to ‘particular ground condition issues’. Fetcham district councillor, Raj Haque, said that the council had subsequently said that they would fix the road this month, but it has now been put back to next year.
Wanksy, who operates in Greater Manchester, reckons that his phallically-highlighted potholes are typically filled within 48 hours to a week of his additions. However, Bury council say cleaning his graffiti is costing money that could be used to repair roads.
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Just because no one has mentioned it (thought it might have appeared in the article!?)
www.fillthathole.org.uk
Report your holes ;0)
I guess it took some balls, but the council need to fix the roads or someone's going to get shafted.
"You don't get much graffiti around here..." - Ah, bless!
Headline of the year award goes to....
Ah the comments Find it quite amusing all of these graffiti cocks
LOL 'I guess the council will just ..rub them off'.
So why are the council happy to leave the road in a dangerous state for ages but have to remove graffiti so quickly? Why can't they just leave the graffiti there until they can fix the damage? The graffiti is just an eyesore and might even increase safety by making the damage more visible.
It's all a big laugh now, but how long before someone is caught with their cock in a pothole?
If it gets the job done I might stick a can of paint in my back pocket.
"Another local, Ian Routledge, said that Cock Lane had issues along its entire length."
Give that man a cigar....
Or they could just fix the road and not waste money just removing the graffiti....