'Really funny' sarcastic sign placed on West Sussex road notorious for potholes

The sign, which reads ‘free off road experience courtesy of West Sussex County Council’, has been placed on the junction to Bramlands Lane, in Henfield.

In a post shared on Facebook, local residents have called the mystery person who placed it ‘a legend’ and said the sign is ‘really funny’.

However, locals have major safety concerns over the road which they say desperately needs resurfacing.

Resident Richard Jones, who shared the post, said he’s witnessed several cyclists and a motorcyclist come off their bikes on the bumpy road.

He said: “It's a main road but now cars have to stop as you need to either straddle the middle or go onto the verge, which I guess is why someone made this sign.

"I have been in contact with Sarah Payne, MP for this area. It took a few attempts but eventually they asked highways to look. They said some repairs first and eventually resurface.

"As a surveyor I responded saying repairs would be a waste of money as the road has completely deteriorated.”

Mr Jones said the road has been in this condition since before December last year.

Since January of this year, six complaints have been sent to West Sussex County Council (WSCC) through website FixMyStreet, with one saying the road forces cars to ‘veer into oncoming traffic’.

One complaint said: “The road is so bad that it is virtually dangerous to drive down. As soon as you turn onto it from the A281 it makes it difficult to steer as the road surface has completely broken down. This will result in an accident.”

Another stated: “This whole section at the junction of Bramlands and Horn Road has been full of potholes for at least a year. It is now like an off road terrain.

"I can’t understand how a busy road has not been fixed and left to get to such a state.

"It causes so many potential accidents to occur.”

A spokesperson for WSCC said: “We are aware of the condition of a section of Horn Lane and plan to patch just over 1,000 square meters of the road surface. There is no confirmed date for this yet but, meanwhile, we will monitor the situation through our inspections and any further reports received and carry out any safety repairs needed until the permanent patching is completed. Hazard warning signs have been put out to provide advance warning to road users of an uneven surface.

“We would also urge residents to take a look at the county council’s Better Roads campaign on our website at westsussex.gov.uk where they can find out about the hard work and resources being dedicated in tackling the pothole issue on West Sussex roads.”