FURIOUS residents have blasted Devon County Council for failing in their duty of care to resurface a lane which, they say, is plastered with potholes.

Nick Kendall, from South Brent, declared the lane used by residents is now almost impassable.

Residents say the lane from Well Oak to Lutton has dramatically deteriorated over the past 18 months.

Mr Kendall said: 'There is something of a pothole epidemic in the UK, but in South Brent we have a lane so badly affected that it is almost impassable without risk of damage to vehicles.

'It has been going on for around 18 months to two years – it used to be a case of reporting various potholes, but it has dramatically deteriorated.

'I have been in contact with Devon Highways who promised, verbally, that the road would be fully resurfaced in the 2014-2015 financial year.'

Mr Kendall said the lane has potholes covering three parts of the lane which is in such a poor state that the children who walk along it are at real risk.

He added: 'The road is a substantial hazard, especially with the excess gravel thrown into the road, it poses a real threat for drivers and pedestrians using the lane. It can be really hard to brake.

'My headlights kept blowing. I took it to a garage thinking it was an electrical fault, but they told me it was the constant jolting and jarring from potholes.

'I also had a windscreen cracked from hitting one pothole, I applied for a claims form from the council but got no reply. Luckily it was a car that was on its way out anyway so I didn't bother going through the hassle of chasing up the council.'

Mr Kendall said that residents feel fed up with other roads and lanes getting repaired but their's being left out.

He said:'We don't feel as if we are being unreasonable, the lane is used regularly. I surveyed the road one day and recorded 178 vehicle movements from 8am to 6pm up and down the lane.

'I understand the lack of money but the council fully excavated and relayed a lane which is clearly marked by a sign saying unsuitable for motor vehicles. This sign has been in place for many years and still is.

'Also the "main" road at the bottom of our lane was tarred and chipped twice in a matter of months. Yet this road, which is used on a regular basis, remains untouched.'

Residents say they have continued to be let down by Devon Highways who failed to fill in individual potholes that meet the criteria to be repaired.

Mr Kendall added: 'I've been sent numerous emails saying these specific potholes have since been repaired, which they haven't.

'I then received another email saying they haven't been done but will have been by the time this email was sent – they are yet to be repaired.

'Specific defects were reported to Highways in early December, which the council claim to have inspected and filled.

'No local resident has seen any sign of remedial work since they claim it was carried out on December 17.

'Highways said they have carried out a further inspection since December 17 and have identified six additional potholes that meet the criteria for repair.

'I find it rather astonishing that six potholes have appeared in that time scale. To me this indicated that either they failed in their duty of care in the first instance, or the road is in such a poor state that holes and defects are appearing at this rate.

'We are all really fed up, it has just been ongoing for so long.'

Other than cracked windscreens and damaged headlights, drivers have punctured their tyres trying to avoid the potholes and hitting rocks on the side of the lane.

A spokesman from Devon County Council said: 'Safety defects across the county are repaired in line with our policy.'