A COMMUNITY has thanked the Guardian for getting the county council to finally agree to resurface their ludicrously potholed street.

Families in Parklands, Coopersale, had grown so fed-up with had their seemingly endless angry phone calls and letters of complaint falling on deaf ears that they came to our newspaper to see if we could help.

They likened the damage to a "dirt track in some third world country" and had repeatedly called for Essex County Council to abandon its policy of endless running repairs and completely resurface the road, which gives access to about 70 homes and a primary school.

The five-inch deep craters have long been a hazard for mums on the school run, delivery drivers, kids on bikes, motorists, and the many elderly local residents.

And now, five months after we featured their five-year campaign, homeowners have finally received letters notifying them that the road will be completely re-laid at the end of the month.

Long-standing resident Ian Betteridge, 65, who launched a petition calling for the repairs after facing the daily chore of negotiating the damage with his walking stick, said: "On behalf of the residents of Parklands, I would like to express my thanks to the Guardian for helping us to finally get this problem sorted out.

"We also need to say thank you to local councillors Ben Murphy and Janet Whitehouse for taking up our cause and making the right contacts.

"Everyone knows that our district is particularly badly affected by potholes but I think our case shows that with the right publicity you can get something done about it."

- Are the potholes on your road worse than these craters in Coopersale? Send you photos in to jcolasanti@london.newsquest.co.uk.