More phallic pothole graffiti – this time on Cock Lane

After ‘Wanksy’ got his spray can out to make Rochdale council take action on potholes earlier in the year, someone’s now adopted the same approach in Fetcham, Surrey. Cock Lane’s apparently inspirational name has combined with potholes and subsidence issues to result in a whole series of painted penises highlighting the poor road surface.

Local resident Polly Birkbeck told Get Surrey that she had spotted the culprit’s handiwork while taking her daughter to school on Tuesday morning.

"I drive down there every day on the school run and today I said to my daughter 'hang on a minute, someone's drawn willies on the road'.

"There are about 15 of them, I stopped the car and counted. They're on all the bad bits of the road, it's a sort of protest by someone with a smutty sense of humour.

"That stretch of road is really annoying, it's terribly uneven, I guess the council will just scrub them off but I'm surprised they haven't fixed this bit of road, it's been like that for years.

"It's possibly a way to highlight the issue and galvanise someone into action. It did make me smile – it's quite surprising to see, you don't get much graffiti around here. I have absolutely no idea who did it, but it must have taken a while."

Another local, Ian Routledge, said that Cock Lane had issues along its entire length.

“This has been an issue for at least two years. No-one from the council will have a sensible conversation with you about what needs to be done. It is clear to see that the foundations of the road have gone for the whole length of the road – not just Cock Lane. We just get fobbed off all the time.”

A Surrey County Council spokesman said that the artist would be ‘cock-a-hoop’ to know that the road is due to be resurfaced as part of the £100 million Operation Horizon scheme which is overhauling many of the county’s roads most in need of repair.

However, Operation Horizon is now in its third year and while Cock Lane had been earmarked for attention in the first year, work was deferred due to ‘particular ground condition issues’. Fetcham district councillor, Raj Haque, said that the council had subsequently said that they would fix the road this month, but it has now been put back to next year.

Wanksy, who operates in Greater Manchester, reckons that his phallically-highlighted potholes are typically filled within 48 hours to a week of his additions. However, Bury council say cleaning his graffiti is costing money that could be used to repair roads.