A PENSIONER who uses a wheelchair says she feels like a “prisoner in her own home” because of huge potholes in a neglected road.

Shirley Whatley, 76, of Limburg Road, Canvey, regularly relies on her wheelchair since being diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica. a condition which causes severe stiffness and pain for sufferers, as well as arthritis.

Limburg Road is divided in two, with part of the road managed by Essex County Council, and the second half is unadopted.

An unadopted road is a road not managed by a local authority, meaning Essex County Council are not required to make any repairs.

Shirley and her husband, George, live in the adopted area of the road, but must cross the unadopted road to leave the area.

And the road is now in such a dire state, Shirley feels trapped, with her wheelchair unable to manoeuvre through the street.

George, 76, said: “It is definitely causing quite an issue.

“Sometimes when Shirley needs to go out, she has to use her wheelchair, but the road is impossible.

“The number of potholes have now made it literally impossible to navigate.

“When it rains, you cannot see the depth of the puddles.

“Last year I broke the steering rack on my Mercedes because of one of the potholes, that is not easily done.

“In August 2016 I was taken to hospital in an ambulance, and even the paramedics said the road was in a horrible state.”

Mr Whatley has been pursuing Essex County Council about adopting the road for a number of years, but has recently been told that the council has no plans to adopt the road, stating it was “low priority”.

Braintree and Witham Times:

George added: “Urgent action is needed to safe guard the people living in the adopted area.

“Its the only road in the whole of Essex that is in an adopted section, but you have to cross an unadopted area.

“It is not okay, and we are being told that nothing will be done, what are we supposed to do?”

Essex County Council declined the offer to comment on the unadopted section of Limburg Road.