“EMBARRASSING” rude graffiti has started reappearing around potholes in Wivenhoe as residents continue to wait for desperately needed repairs.

A mischievous graffiti artist has been painting phallic symbols around potholes in the town since September, much to the annoyance of highways bosses.

Residents have given the street artist an amusing pseudonym similar to Banksy and his handiwork has continued to appear over recent months.

The latest phallus appeared around a pothole on the railway bridge in Wivenhoe High Street.

It is not known whether there is more than one vigilante graffiti artist working in the town.

Read more >>> Rude graffiti is painted around potholes in Wivenhoe

Essex county councillor for the area Julie Young said she understood residents’ frustrations but she said the graffiti was not helping.

“It is quite embarrassing to be honest,” she said.

“It is not really appropriate for Wivenhoe to have penises on the road for children to see.

“I have consistently raised Wivenhoe’s pothole issues with the county council for some time.

“There were 39 in Wivenhoe I photographed and submitted for repair.

“They have been outstanding an awfully long time and the situation is getting beyond a joke now.

“During the first lockdown I went to a highways surgery to say it wasn’t good enough.”

Ms Young added: “People keep telling me how dreadful they are and I agree but I am not sure what else I can do bar repairing them myself.”

Gazette:

  • Councillors Julie Young and Cyril Liddy with potholes in The Avenue

An Essex Highways spokesperson said every public road in Essex was regularly inspected.

He added: “With limited resources we must repair more safety-critical potholes first.

“However, in addition to this work, each Essex county councillor has been invited to nominate extra, locally annoying potholes for repair by extra crews this financial year.”

He added: “Silly graffiti on the road makes no difference whatsoever to our repair work.”

Potholes can be reported online by visiting essex.gov.uk/highways.