Бегун обвинил совет графства Эссекс в халатности после перелома лодыжки из-за ямы на дороге

A KEEN runner who broke his ankle and cracked a rib after tripping in a pothole has accused Essex Highways of “neglecting” its duties. Rob Rudlin says the fall on Eastwood Road in Rayleigh turned his life upside down, leaving him unable to work, care for his family or continue running for weeks. The 56-year-old factory worker claims his foot became trapped in what he described as an “8cm-deep pothole”, causing him to fall heavily and sustain serious injuries. After the incident, he submitted a complaint to Essex County Council but says his concerns were effectively dismissed. Essex Highways insists road safety is taken “extremely seriously” and says it operates a “robust” inspection and maintenance programme across the county. Recalling the accident, Mr Rudlin said: “My foot got trapped in the pothole and when I tripped it snapped my ankle bone clean off. When I landed I cracked a rib. “I was bed-bound for a week and it was around eight weeks before I could get about without crutches, but I’m still recovering now. “I work in a factory and was an active runner. I’ve also got two children and a dog to look after, so the impact on my life has been massive.” Following his complaint, the council told Mr Rudlin that an inspection of the area had been carried out on January 22 and no actionable defect had been identified. In its response, the authority said it could not reasonably be expected to repair defects it was unaware of. However, Mr Rudlin disputes that explanation and believes the pothole should have been identified sooner. “It’s pretty obvious neglect,” he said. “I was amazed when they said they wouldn’t accept liability even though they say someone inspected it in January. “Clearly a pothole of that size doesn’t appear in a matter of weeks. It feels as though they’re just shrugging off responsibility.” While unable to comment on individual claims, Essex Highways said it remains committed to maintaining safe roads. A spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear about Mr Rudlin’s accident and wish him a full recovery. “We are unable to comment on ongoing individual claims. However, Essex Highways takes road safety extremely seriously and understands the impact that road defects can have on residents and road users. “We have a robust inspection and maintenance programme in place across the county and respond to reported defects in line with our established safety and risk-based criteria. “Any reported highway defects are assessed by our highways team and, where intervention levels are met, appropriate repairs are scheduled and carried out. We remain committed to maintaining and improving Essex’s road network to help keep residents safe.”