GRAPHIC CONTENT: Half a dozen phalluses have been spray-painted around potholes on a road in Saffron Walden.

%image(15433432, type="article-full", alt="It's not known when the prankster carried out his work in Audley End Road. Picture: ARCHANT")

The culprit has also written “fill me” and “sort it out you twits” next to some of the potholes in Audley End Road.

It is understood the phalluses appeared overnight some time between Wednesday and Thursday.

Taking to Facebook, one resident said: “To our local Banksy who has spray painted the phallic symbols over the god-awful pot holes between Saffron Walden and Audley End, I salute you.”

There have been a number of claims made against Essex County Council for damage caused to vehicles from potholes on the road.

%image(15433434, type="article-full", alt="The scene at Audley End Road, Saffron Walden. Picture: ARCHANT")

There were 21 claims against the council for damage to vehicles caused by hitting potholes in Saffron Walden between December 2017 and October 2018, according to data released in a freedom of information request. Four claims were made for damage caused in Audley End Road.

A spokesman for Essex Highways said: “Preparation works for a major resurfacing scheme on the road starts next week. We have spoken with managers at Audley End House to avoid their peak visitor times in the summer, so we will do four weeks of surface preparation, including kerb repairs from next week with the heavy machinery and overnight closures to take one week during April.

“Stupid and possibly dangerous defacement of the road makes not one jot of difference whatsoever to our plans.”

%image(15433435, type="article-full", alt="The culprit also spray-painted "fill me" next to one of the potholes in Audley End Road, Saffron Walden. Picture: ARCHANT")

%image(15433438, type="article-full", alt="Half a dozen phalluses have appeared on potholes in Audley End Road, Saffron Walden. Picture: ARCHANT")

%image(15433440, type="article-full", alt="One of the phalluses in Audley End Road, Saffron Walden. Picture: ARCHANT")

%image(15433442, type="article-full", alt="One pothole has been circled and says "sort it out you twits" in Audley End Road, Saffron Walden. Picture: ARCHANT")

%image(15433445, type="article-full", alt="Smaller phalluses around smaller potholes in Audley End Road, Saffron Walden. Picture: ARCHANT")