Sinkhole opens up on Bridge Street, Ramsbottom

The sinkhole, estimate to be up to 10ft deep, was spotted this outside the Betfred shop on Bridge Street in Ramsbottom at around 7am.

Drew Webster, who works in Ramsbottom, reported the alarming default to the council, and said people have raised concerns about the spot this week. 

He said: “People have seen dipping for a few days but then this morning when I was walking past to go to work it had opened right up.

“It’s about a foot wide but looking down its fairly deep, probably about 10ft deep.

“I phoned the council this morning when I walked past.

“I said if anyone steps on that they’ll disappear so they said they will get someone out as soon as possible.”

Bury Council has been informed and a spokesman said the local authority believes the hole has opened up due to a collapsed culvert.

A culvert is a structure that channels water past an obstacle or to channel a subterranean waterway.

A council team has been sent to the scene to make the area safe and to assess and confirm the cause of the hole opening up.

The council team at the scene

Back in March, reports to the website FixMyStreet.com suggested there were close to 1,000 unresolved reports of potholes across the borough.

According to FixMyStreet.com, the worst affected pothole hot spots are in Whitefield and Prestwich.

FixMyStreet.com is a website that allows users to report issues directly to their local council.

Residents have used the site to report "dangerous" potholes throughout the borough, some of which are getting "bigger and deeper".

At the time, a spokesperson from Bury Council said: "Last year we filled 12,000 potholes and we’re going to fill another 12,000 this coming year.

"We are also investing a further £10m into the borough’s highways, taking the total to £30m over nine years."