A CYCLIST is furious that Gloucestershire County Council refuses to compensate him for £155 worth of damage caused to his bike when he hit a pothole.

Daniel Boulton was nearly thrown from his bike when he rode into the pothole in the main road through Ewen, near The Timbrells turn off, on November 17 last year, as he was cycling back from work.

Mr Boulton said the incident near Kemble caused £155 of damage to his Cannondale Supersix bicycle and he demanded compensation for that amount from the council, but the authority refused.

The council said that, as it had repaired the pothole within 28 days of it being reported, it had carried out its statutory duty and so no compensation was necessary.

However, Mr Boulton is adamant that the pothole in question has not been repaired.

Jake McCunnie, of insurance claims firm Gallagher Basset, which represents the council, said in a letter to Mr Boulton that the pothole was spotted in an inspection on November 6 and repaired within 28 days.

He said this meant the council "had not been in breach of its failure to act" and was not liable for compensation.

But Mr Boulton, an operations director at Kemble Airfield, said: “When I went out to Ewen on January 7, a good 62 days after my accident on November 17, the road still had not been repaired. Someone is telling lies here.”

He said he had made several complaints about potholes in the Ewen area and that the council may be confusing the pothole in question with the others.

He said: “ I think they are getting mixed up with my other complaints for Windmill Road, but when all the roads are in such a poor state you can’t blame them for getting confused.”

Ruth Kinsella, account director at Amey, the council's highways maintenance contractor, said workmen had visited Ewen to carry out monthly surveys and make repairs where necessary.

She said: “We fix higher priority potholes within 24 hours, and others, if they meet the national safety requirements, will be repaired within 28 days which is in line with UK guidelines.

"These guidelines have been met however our insurance company is currently looking at Mr Boulton’s claim.”