Frustrated residents in a hamlet on the outskirts of Sidmouth have vented their frustrations after a road blighted with potholes was closed indefinitely by Devon County Council.

Under Lane, in Harcombe, is stricken with the ruts which have stopped motorists dead in their tracks and trapped heavy good vehicles passing through.

Since the road closure, people travelling to and from Harcombe have had to navigate down a narrow country road which is ten miles further to travel than the Underlane route.

One resident, who lives near Underlane, said: “The council has said that 20 metres of road needs to be resurfaced, but will not be doing it for the foreseeable future. The road currently still has water on its surface.

“It came up after all of the rain.”

Although the potholes have been filled with a clay-like mixture, rain has washed them clean again and exposed the steep dips once more.

A Harcombe resident of 20 years, the resident said she was concerned on the impact the closure will have if an accident is recorded.

“If there is an emergency vehicle that needs access to a house on Underlane, it may not be able to get there in time,” she added.

“The road situation has got worse since the last article went in the Herald.

“The council cannot just close the road forever. They say there is no money, but Devon has been given several million pounds to fix this.”

A DCC spokesman said: “The diversion will be in place for some considerable time.

“We are working on it but the underlying material of the road is so badly saturated that it moves around whilst being walked on.

“It is not safe for vehicles.

“We are working out how best to go forward with the repairs, but advise residents to please use the diversion route in the meantime.

“We will let people know as soon as we possibly can how and when works will take place and the timescales involved.”