David BaleCalls were made today for the repair of potholes across Norwich to be speeded-up - after an ex-councillor hurt himself when he fell over oneDavid Bale

Calls were made today for the repair of potholes across Norwich to be speeded-up - after an ex-councillor hurt himself when he fell over one.

Ex-city councillor Mike Pendred was visiting family when he injured himself crossing Witard Road, off Plumstead Road East, in Heartsease.

Today, he and current councillors George Nobbs and Jenny Lay renewed calls for pot holes to be filled in before anyone was seriously hurt.

The call comes a month after families and traders on the Witard Road estate claimed the pot hole-ridden road was the worst in Norwich, potentially risking lives and affecting business.

Mr Pendred, a former city councillor for the old Coslany ward, said: 'I twisted my ankle and hurt my hip, but was not badly injured. But it's so easy to do. This is the regular route for buses and traffic out of the Heartsease, and you get schoolchildren on push-bikes using it, and people walking across it. It needs to be fixed as soon as possible.'

Mr Nobbs, county councillor for Crome, said central government had already allocated money to pay for the work, and it needed to be done now.

He said: 'The whole middle of Witard Road is riddled with pot holes. Lion Wood Road, also off Plumstead Road East, is equally bad, but Witard Road is a bus route and is busier so it's more important.'

Jenny Lay, city councillor for Crome, added that the pot holes in Witard Road were so bad, bus drivers apologised to passengers when they drove there.

She said: 'Bus passengers are shaken about by the pot holes which I think is quite a concern.'

As previously reported, council chiefs in Norfolk have been faced with a �1m pot hole repair bill following the worst winter in 30 years, which left large swathes of the county's 6,000 mile road network in need of urgent repair because water seeping into cracks on the road surface expands as it freezes.

Norwich City Council spokeswoman Amy Lyall said: 'The council has secured money from Norfolk County Council for a complete resurfacing, as this will be a much better option than patching holes.

'We appreciate this is a very important issue for people living in this area and we are making the work a priority. We are still finalising a date for the work to be done, but it will be completed as soon as possible.'

Have you got a transport issue with the council? Ring reporter David Bale on 01603 772427 or email david.bale2@archant.co.uk.