FED-UP neighbours showed some real community spirit by getting together and repairing a pothole-ridden road.

Residents in Beck Road, Canvey, teamed up and spent the Easter weekend laying two lorry loads of tarmac.

As Beck Road is an unadopted road, Essex County Council is not responsible for repairs.

However, potholes had become so deep it was no longer safe for cars to use the road, which links to Point Road and Marine Parade.

So veteran Tory Ray Howard, councillor responsible for highways, got creative and arranged for piles of scalpings – tarmac which is scraped off a road before resurfacing – to be delivered.

Scalpings would normally be dumped.

Meanwhile Colin Letchford, Independent councillor for Canvey East, used his councillor’s allowance to pay for a digger and road roller.

Mark Stratton, 36, of Beck Road, said: “It was terrible before.

“I had to take my exhaust off and I know a lot of my neighbours did as well because we just weren’t able to drive down there.

“We’ve been trying to get this done for a long time, and we know this is only a temporary measure, but it is somuch better.

“Everyone was involved too, and it was really good to get everyone together.”

Neighbour Linda Hewerdine, 67, who lives on the corner of Zilder Pass, added: “It was more like two padding pools rather than a road when it rained.

“It was like it for years, but it got worse and worse. A lot of elderly people live down here and it was dangerous for them to walk to the bus stop.

“It was very good of the councillors to help us because if it wasn’t for them it just wouldn’t have got done. It would have cost us a lot of money.

“We’ve got really good neighbours and it was great to see them all getting stuck in with some old-fashioned community spirit.”

Mr Letchford said: “I am extremely proud of these residents who have got their hands dirty in the true Canvey spirit.

“The road may not be the prettiest, but it won’t rip your exhaust pipe off now!”