A FARMER has called on Essex Highways to fix poor road surfacing which “could kill” someone after an eight year battle.

Phillipa Perry works on her parents’ White Rail Farm on Maldon Road between Great Totham and Tiptree, and for years has been imploring the highways team to address a huge dip in the road.

The dip is on a sharp bend in the road; Ms Perry claims that after heavy rain it fills with water, causing drivers to miss it and go into it too fast, with it also freezing over and becoming hazardous in colder conditions.

Phillipa claims she has informed highways about the problem multiple times in the past eight years yet nothing has been done to address it.

She said: “It is known as an accident black spot.

“After heavy rain the drain on the other side blocks, the water runs down the road and then crosses it to this side, and it runs like a small river until it is pumped out.

“I first reported it to highways eight years ago, and they did come and take a look, but since then nothing has happened.

“Being a dip in the road and on a bend, it’s a nasty bit of driving. If you add that with a water spray on a wet day or ice during a cold one, and it’s terrifying.

“Someone is going to die.”

Phillipa said that during correspondence with the highways team they said it was not a high priority, but is desperate for something to be done.

She added: “I’ve reported it around two or three times a year now for the past eight years, each time they come back and say it’s not been deemed dangerous, which is no help at all.

“We get many drivers going over it at national speed limit, we’ve had many crashes and cars getting damaged.

“This is surely evidence that it’s not up to standard.”

A highways spokesman said: “On Wednesday our jetting crew cleaned this drain outside Heathgate Farm of roots and other obstruction. “We believe that will solve the problem of flooding on the road.

“The drain had previously been cleaned in August 2016 and December 2014.”