You taking the mac? Hungerford resident doesn't know 'whether to laugh or cry' over contractors' handiwork

THIS is the sight that greeted a householder who complained about a noisy manhole cover outside his home.

The tarmac job – presumably aimed at damping the racket as traffic rattled over it in Church Street in Hungerford – did not even last the day.

Meanwhile the remnants of the crumbling sheets can be slid around by foot.

Geordie Taylor raised the issue with both West Berkshire Council, as highways authority, and utilities giant Thames Water.

Geordie Taylor raised the issue with both West Berkshire Council, as highways authority, and utilities giant Thames Water.

He said: "Following my report about a very noisy manhole cover outside my front door, someone, unbeknownst to me, turned up this afternoon and put some tarmac over the manhole cover.

"I thought you'd like to see the fruits of their work.

"I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Sadly I have no idea at whom I should point the finger, West Berkshire Council or Thames Water."

The Newbury Weekly News made enquiries on Mr Taylor's behalf.

A spokeswoman for West Berkshire Council replied: "This work was carried out by a Thames Water contractor."

The NWN has approached Thames Water for a comment but the utility company did not immediately respond.

It is not the first time that tarmac work has proved controversial.

Last April the NWN revealed how an experimental new tarmacking material trialled in West Berkshire caused uproar.

Days after it was laid, residents of affected streets in Hungerford and Newbury claimed the uneven surface, apparently poured straight onto street debris, was already cracking up with weeds growing through.

The NWN learned that the offending tarmacking has been laid using a new material that combines micro asphalt and slurry sealing, which reportedly saves on material.

At the time a spokesman for the council contractors responsible said the new material was designed to reduce the district council's carbon footprint.

He added: "Unfortunately, while the majority of the programme was completed with no issues, in certain locations and in some instances the work that we carried out fell short of our usual high standard."