A vehicle owner has exposed faults in road maintenance and drainage operations after winning a compensation case against Oxfordshire County Council.
The driver incurred £86.40 worth of car damage when his vehicle hit a depression measuring 70mm deep in Blackthorn close to Bicester on November 22, 2025.
The highway fault, situated in front of Malvern Cottage along Station Road, was hidden beneath pooled water caused by blocked drainage.
Oxfordshire County Council has offered regrets for the mistake and stated that steps have been taken to stop it occurring again.
The motorist, Matthew Kitchen, explained that on November 22, he was driving through Blackthorn when his car struck a significant depression outside Malvern Cottage. He noted that rain was falling, and because the council had failed to clear the drains despite warnings that they had been blocked for months, the road was underwater. He added that the floodwater acted as a cover, turning the 70mm-deep hole into a hidden hazard for any unsuspecting driver.
After seeking reimbursement for repair expenses, the 20-year-old received a routine rejection from the council, claiming it had no prior awareness of the depression and had fulfilled its legal obligations through scheduled examinations.
Unhappy with the outcome, the vehicle owner filed an Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) request and discovered the council had been informed about the depression on November 19, three days before his collision.
The fault was also logged on the FixMyStreet website repeatedly before Mr Kitchen’s accident.
The depression was recorded as a recognised fault and later measured at 70mm deep.
Oxfordshire County Council guidelines classify faults exceeding 40mm as dangers requiring urgent attention.
Records additionally showed the council had been warned about obstructed drains at the same location one month prior, yet no corrective measures were carried out.
Armed with this evidence, the driver challenged the council’s decision, emphasising its failure to act appropriately.
He stated that without the freedom of information request, they would have avoided responsibility. He emphasised that this was not just about £86.40 but about the council using standard denials to dodge paying for damage resulting from their own established negligence.
Mark Morrell, popularly dubbed Mr Pothole, noted that the depressions in Oxfordshire are among the worst in the country due to years of exasperation with the council. He observed that the truth is they simply are not meeting their duties properly and that the council does not have enough money or staff to make improvements.
The well-known road defect campaigner has submitted a formal grievance about the dangerous condition of Hook Norton Road in Oxfordshire.
Oxfordshire County Council responded that the claim was initially turned down because the council had taken reasonable steps regarding the pre-incident depression report at this spot. They explained that after receiving Mr Kitchen’s correspondence, a full claim review was carried out, at which point a settlement was offered as it appeared an additional report was overlooked during the first assessment. They apologised for this oversight and have introduced measures to ensure it does not happen again.