WORRIED residents fear someone will soon be seriously hurt unless a pothole-ridden bridleway is sorted out.

Those who live along Foxborough Chase believe County Hall must act and fix the road littered with mini craters, some of which measure more than 30 inches across.

The call for action comes less than two years after residents themselves were forced to pay £10,000 out of their own pockets to repair the damage.

Though a private access road, the bridleway, in West Hanningfield, is also a public walkway often used by ramblers and cyclists.

One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “The council has got a responsibility to maintain the surface to a standard that would be OK for horses, walkers and cars.

“It should be a smooth surface.

“The way it is at the moment, it could cause serious damage to someone walking, let alone riding, down it.”

Another resident, Ellen Weller, said: “We have to drive down the road very gingerly now to avoid damage, as it’s impossible to go down and not hit a pothole.

“When I phoned the council, I said we needed a bit of help and guidance.

“We’ve tried to make it work, but they have all the expertise.”

An Essex Highways spokesman said: “We are responsible for maintaining Foxborough Chase to bridleway standard, ie for use by walkers, cyclists and horse riders, and it meets this standard.

“We believe the damage to the hard surfaced sections of the track is caused by private vehicular usage.”

But a residents’ spokesman said: “It’s the council’s heavy vehicles that come here and damage it! Where do we go as residents if the council doesn’t want to get involved?

“They’re abdicating their responsibility.”