DELAYS could be experienced across the district as a string of road resurfacing works begin on Easter Monday.

On April 2 roads such as Theydon Bois's The Green, Loughton's New Road, Stapleford Abbott's Horseman Side and Waltham Abbey's Daws Hill will have their surfaces dressed.

Essex County Council has called for patience as 2018's £50m resurfacing programme begins with the warmer spring weather.

The council's cabinet member for highways, Councillor Ian Grundy, said: “Just two per cent of the county’s A roads now require maintenance, compared to six per cent eight years ago, while the number of B and C roads needing work stands at two per cent, down from eight per cent in the same period.

“We know we have more work to do on potholes, which have multiplied because of the recent snow and very harsh winter weather.

“But our surfacing programme, combined with an extra £3 million investment for pothole repairs, should see considerable improvement over the coming months.

“I would just ask that road users be as patient as possible while we undertake this essential work.”

Other Epping Forest roads treated include Ongar's London Road and Chigwell's Courtland Drive, which will be laid with a whole new surface.

Epping's Bury Lane is also due for work on April 2.

Cllr John S Glover, chairman of Stanford Rivers Parish Council, recently had a run in with a sizeable cavity on the lane.

In a letter to The Guardian he wrote: "This unusual pothole is unusually dangerous. It is about 2m long with ups and downs like a roller coaster.

"I was behind a car and could not see this pothole and in a modern car with low profile types it feels like you are running on the rim.

"I would say that the ECC's classification is a severe understatement for the condition of the hole, the damage that can be caused and health and safety.

"When are coming from the opposite direction cars coming towards you suddenly swerve to avoid the long dangerous hole.

"If this was my responsibility the road would receive a temporary repair today."

An Essex Highways spokesperson explained the council's pothole-patching work had been interrupted by bad weather.

They said: “We will re-visit the site as soon as possible to finish the repair work so that the surfacing team can then go in and put a new waterproof and skid-resistant top layer on the whole length of the road, planned now for mid-July.

"Anyone who comes across a new pothole or one that has got worse recently is asked, please, to help our work by reporting it online at www.essex.gov.uk/highways”