A Sussex man has been waging war on his local council in the most unusual way – by planting flowers in potholes.
Harry Smith-Haggett has been planting vegetation on the streets of Horsham to draw the council’s attention to their “horrible” state.
The landscape gardener has been posting his vigilante work on TikTok, with one of his videos going viral, racking up 2.7 million views.
But West Sussex County Council (WSCC) has urged people to stay off the roads for safety reasons, saying people are “risking their lives” by travelling on motorways.
The authority, which currently spends 6.7 percent of its budget on roads and transport, said it understands the “frustrations” and has increased resources to address the potholes.
Harry Smith-Haggett has been planting vegetation on the streets of Horsham to draw the council’s attention to their “horrible” state.
The landscape gardener has been posting his vigilante work on TikTok, with one of his videos going viral, racking up 2.7 million views.
Mr Smith-Haggett said he started filling potholes with flowers because he was “fed up” with the state of the roads.
Mr Smith-Haggett said he started filling potholes with flowers because he was “fed up” with the state of the roads.
He told the BBC:There are people who have been complaining about potholes in Horsham for years.
“I just thought it would bring a little joy and so far it seems to be working.”
The community activist said several of the potholes where he had planted flowers had already been repaired.
He says he wanted to find a way to draw attention to potholes “without being dangerous or causing problems.”
When filling in the holes, Mr Smith-Haggett wears a personalised pink reflective vest with the words ‘Pretty Pot Holes’ on the back.
One video shows Mr Smith-Haggett covering seven potholes on a single road with colourful floral arrangements.
The videos have proven popular online with dozens of comments giving advice and praising her work.
In another of his videos, Mr Smith-Haggett is seen pouring buckets of what he describes as “premium topsoil” into the potholes, then using the trowel to evenly distribute the soil across the hole.
Then he pulls out a plant and comments, ‘I don’t know what this plant is called, but it’s a beauty, whatever we’re working with there.’
After placing the pot into the newly acquired potting soil, he says, “That will allow our roots to sprout nicely in there, I think.”
The videos have become popular online with dozens of people commenting to praise his work or encourage him to visit their area next time.
Some commenters also gave gardening tips so she could ensure her plants would take root more easily in her bumpy new home.
A WSCC spokesperson said: “We take road maintenance and repairs in West Sussex very seriously and have increased our resources to tackle potholes and improve road conditions.”
The council recently announced that its 2023/24 budget will increase council tax by 4.99 per cent per year, with costs projected to reach £1,633 for the average Band D property.