Sisters from Morecambe who highlight the state of the local roads have appeared on BBC Breakfast to talk about the potholes problem.
Sophie Lyden and Emma Bailey were live in the BBC studio on Thursday morning to chat with presenters Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt about their popular online 'Pothole Patrol' campaign.
Sophie and Emma, from Morecambe auto repair firm Westgate Tyres, have been producing regular online videos showing the number of potholes on the roads across the Lancaster and Morecambe District.
They have had a huge response from residents and motorists.
"We go out and we report on the local potholes, we let all local people know where they are, we measure how deep they are," said Emma during the interview on BBC Breakfast.
Sophie and Emma on BBC Breakfast. Image: BBC
Sophie said: "The reason we started doing it, there was one strip of road where I take my daughter to nursery every morning, and on that one strip there were 19 potholes.
"The (road) across from where our garage is (on Glentworth Road West), there are actually 20 potholes. They have been 'white marked' for two months but nothing has happened. These are our biggest bugbear. I popped my tyre two weeks ago. They've got to six inches deep."
Sophie sitting in a pothole
"There was a lady that lives on the street and she said she watched somebody on a bike hit the pothole and come straight off it.
"People try to avoid the pothole and that causes road safety implications. It's a massive risk for everyone."
Emma said: "People are reporting them, using the app. There are multiple reports on each pothole. People say the council aren't doing anything about it."
Sophie said: "The first video we ever did. St Christopher's Way in Bare, within two weeks the road was filled in and repaired.
"Most of the roads we have reported on, some kind of attempt to fix it as happened, but it's either a temporary repair, or it gets disturbed again so the same issue rearises. The real need is for a resurface but it's just a long period.
"It's disappointing. A road should be safe to drive on."
Beyond Radio joined Sophie and Emma near the start of their Pothole Patrol mission, in March.
The sisters with a pothole on Fairfield Road in Morecambe
This came after our own Facebook page was inundated with complaints about potholes in around 30 different locations across Morecambe, Heysham, Carnforth and Bolton-le-Sands.
A spokesperson for Lancashire County Council, who are responsible for the county's highways, said at the time: “Our roads carry over 4.6 million journeys a day, and we fix around 3,400 potholes each month.
“Potholes are caused by wet and cold weather and followed by the freezing conditions early this year, means that our roads have suffered a lot of damage recently. We triage all requests and respond to these in order of priority.
“Our Managed Service model delivers bigger, longer lasting repairs, tripling the average fix size and as a single provider it replaced multiple contractors, freeing council teams to focus on urgent work and resurfacing.”
Also in March, Lancashire County Council revealed plans for a £72m programme to improve roads in Lancashire.
The funding will support a wide‑ranging programme of work across the county, including road resurfacing, structural repairs, bridges, drainage and street lighting, with a strong focus on preventative maintenance and right first‑time repairs.
The county council budget also included a pledge to spend an extra £45m on highway repairs such as potholes over the next three years.
A series of roads in the Lancaster and Morecambe District have also been earmarked for repair.
These include resurfacing on Rochester Avenue in Morecambe.
But the Pothole Patrol sisters, in one of their most recent videos, said: "Rochester Ave on Westgate is currently getting a full resurface - despite there being less potholes and them being much less of a concern than on other nearby streets.
"How is this cost effective?! Surely, the roads in much more need of repairing should be being prioritised, especially when (as we are being told by Reform councillors) there isn’t enough money to fix our roads as it is."
County Councillor Brian Moore, of Reform UK, who represents Morecambe South on Lancashire County Council, said in March: "I as a car driver who travels across the county, I totally understand everyone's frustration with the state of the roads. I too am frustrated at the lack of investment over many years which has led to the situation we now find ourselves in.
County Councillor Brian Moore
"When the Reform administration won power in May last year, we inherited a highways deficit of over £600m (the estimated investment required to bring all roads back to normal standard in Lancashire).
"Given the pressures on county council budgets, it would be impossible to divert this amount of money from other areas, such as social care and SEND provision which are also under pressure.
"Despite these financial pressures, we have revamped the way that road repairs are being handled since we came into power. This has resulted in almost 50,000 extra potholes being repaired compared to the same point in the previous year. Indeed, every pothole that was reported and on the system in May last year has now been repaired."
You can report a pothole HERE or via the Love Clean Streets app.
Read more: LISTEN: We go out on Pothole Patrol in Morecambe - Beyond Radio
VIDEO: Morecambe road safety champion out on 'Pothole Patrol' - Beyond Radio
"1600 potholes repaired last week" says councillor as roads debate rumbles on - Beyond Radio
Road resurfacing schemes revealed for Lancaster district - Beyond Radio
LISTEN and PHOTOS: Town celebrates Eric Morecambe's 100th birthday in style
D-Day hero to open new Lancaster Armed Forces veterans centre on 102nd birthday
Morecambe beaches given national Seaside Award for cleanliness
Lancaster Oxfam charity shop set to reopen after closure
LISTEN and PHOTOS: Pupils at Eric Morecambe's school say Happy 100th Birthday in style
Mounted Police make arrests in Lancaster day of action
Intrepid walkers scale heights to raise thousands for Lancaster charity
Happy 100th birthday to Eric Morecambe: the man who brought us sunshine
Earth tremor hits Silverdale
Lancaster Jazz Festival will not happen in 2026
Beyond Radio to broadcast live on Eric Morecambe's centenary
Family announce closure of Morecambe hobby shop after 30 years
New bench in Lancaster offers Hope to people in Mental Health Awareness Week
Young Morecambe creators prepare to show off Eden Project garden at Chelsea Flower Show
No changes to services at Lancaster day centre ‘at this stage’, say County Council
Crime Commissioner opens fund using seized criminal cash
Eric Morecambe centenary: Programme of events
Firefighters called to garage fire in Lancaster
Carnforth mum fulfills lifelong dream to publish book she wrote for her own children
New fund opens to support festivals and creative projects in Lancaster district
