A SINKHOLE the size of a car wheel appeared in a busy town centre road.

Emergency highways crews were sent to Oxford Road, Colchester, after the hole was spotted on Wednesday at about 4pm, close to Colchester High School.

One parent from Fingringhoe said she watched as a driver ignored signals to go around the hole.

She said: “Someone could have fallen down it quite easily. It was very dangerous.

“We were gesticulating and telling this driver not to go over it but they just did anyway.

“The whole wheel went down the hole and back out again.

“Colchester seems to have a lot of these.”

READ MORE: Sinkhole opens near Colchester High School in Oxford Road

Essex Highways sent a team shortly after 5pm and the hole was covered up so drivers had to avoid it and not make the problem worse.

Gazette:

A spokesman said the team was grateful to everyone who reported this problem.

The crew checked the hole to make it safe, it was fenced off and covered up.

A highways spokesman added: “Our emergency call-out crew attended on Wednesday to check and make the area safe with barriers.

“Yesterday we were on site investigating the cause of the problem and then we will design and carry out a permanent repair.”

Gazette:

Essex Police also attended the incident when it was first reported to make sure the area was safe for drivers.

Colchester has suffered a number of sinkholes in recent years.

Last May, a sinkhole described as being at least 10ft wide each way opened up in Athelstan Road.

That problem was caused by a failed sewer pipe.

The road was shut off for about a week as Anglian Water repaired the pipe before the road was repaired and resurfaced.