Giant pothole caused thousands of pounds worth of damage in Somerset

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A giant pothole in Somerset is estimated to have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage after bursting dozens of car tyres.

The hole - which was positioned on the A38 coming into Taunton - has recently been repaired, but many drivers say they're still counting the costs.

Wayne Sprangle was driving across the main road which is undergoing roadworks on Wednesday (29 December) when he says he heard a big "bang".

"I was coming back from my gym in Wellington and I knew the roadworks were there and the traffic was moving fairly slowly - about 25 miles per hour - and I hit straight into the pothole which was on the my driving-side tyre."

"It was quite a big bang because of the size of it. It was like hitting a curb straight on."

Wayne continued: "My gym session just cost me £86 on top of my membership - so not what you want after Christmas."

Wayne isn't the only driver to fall victim to the pothole. At the nearby tyre garage, manager Lee Hadley says since Monday they've had up to 20 vehicles a day come in after driving into the pothole.

The manager of National Tyres and Autocare says they've had 20 vehicles a day come in after driving into the hole.

He said: "It's been a lot over the last few days and it's literally ruptured tyres, sidewalls and unrepairable punctures. It's caused havoc for everyone who's come across that road.

Leanne Borsing is a carer who was driving along the A38 early in the morning when she slammed into the hole and had to call breakdown recovery.

She said: "It's petrifying especially as a woman on my own as well. When the RAC came to put my wheel on they said my tyre had split so it wasn't nice.

A spokesperson from Somerset County Council said they received reports of a pothole within a private developer-led construction side and contacted them as soon as possible to rectify the problem - and it was repaired earlier this week.

They added: "The public can report a wide range of road defects including potholes,  directly to the County Council via our new improved online portal and they can follow the repair process on the council website."