A MAN from Melksham has praised Wiltshire Council's My Wiltshire app after starting a campaign to fix potholes around the county.

Philip Alford, 39, of Woodrow Road, set up a Facebook page inviting people to post messages about roads with major potholes in Melksham and the surrounding area. Using the My Wiltshire app, Mr Alford then reported the issues to Wiltshire Council, who he says have been quick to solve the problem.

“The page is called Melksham Pothole Watch," he said. "People post photos, then I use the app to make sure Wiltshire Council knows about them.

"It has proven to be very popular and there are now offshoot pages that cover Trowbridge, Chippenham and Salisbury. Once I have reported them it doesn’t take long for the council to visit the site. If they agree that it is in poor enough condition then the works are carried out rather quickly,” he added.

The Clarendon Academy biology teacher first started his page in October 2016 and has already seen an improvement in roads around the town.

“I started it during the colder season as that is when the roads can become damaged. I wouldn’t say the centre of Melksham is terrible but in places like Whitley and Broughton Gifford the roads can get bad.

"I drive around myself and see if I can notice any so I can then report them to the council.”

“Anyone who thinks there are problems with potholes in the area can visit the Facebook page and let me know,” he added.

Philip Whitehead, cabinet member for highways at Wiltshire Council, said: “I am delighted people are using the My Wiltshire app, and they are finding it useful. The app makes reporting issues such as potholes quicker, easier and more accurate. This makes is easier for us to find and fix the issue, and actually saves money over making phone calls.

"I would encourage people to keep up the good work, and carry on helping us keep our highways in good condition.”