Hours after the Wisbech Standard website shared photos of barber Dean Partridge ‘pothole fishing’ in Norfolk Street a near miracle happened – contractors turned up to fill it in.

Donna Ogden, from The Image Salon opposite, who took the photo, was ecstatic to find it repaired so quickly.

“Work completed; hole no more,” she said.

“At last a positive result and well done Cambridgeshire County Council for your swift action.”

She had previously been told it could take three months for the repair.

Dean, of Dean’s Barbers, in Norfolk Street, had earlier donned a fishing rod and perched a cone on his head to spotlight the hole that traders said had been getting bigger as the weeks went by.

And like other shop owners he was upset that the county council had warned of a three month delay.

However by Tuesday afternoon – less than five hours after our story was published on line -the hole was repaired.

Dean, 42, who has been based in Norfolk Street for 15 years, said it was ‘the worst’ he has ever seen the road.

He said: “The road is getting into a bad state with potholes. There are quite a few by us and the county council did come out to fill one down the road in January but when we asked about this one they said there was nothing they could yet as they weren’t there to sort that one out.

“You can see cars coming down and hit it.

“This is the worse state I’ve seen it in – in my opinion the whole road needs resurfacing.”

Donna said: “If it was going to take three months then it will be like the Titanic because it’s getting bigger by the day!

“It’s been there before and they came and filled it, but after all the bad weather it reappeared about a month ago.

“A neighbouring shop reported it first because bits of gravel flying up and hitting the window.

“We are worried it will cause an injury from either someone elderly falling in it or when boy racers come speeding down here it could cause them to swerve off into a shop window if they hit it.

“There was paint around it but it got washed off due to the weather.”

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire County Council said on Tuesday: “It should be repaired by the end of the week and inspectors have already gone out to assess the area.

“The three months date was sent via a generic email.”

Freedom of Information figures show the county council received 243 claims last year following pot hole damage to their vehicles but only 28 so far have won damages.

Lowest amount paid out was £44 but the average is £3125.26 although one claimant received £12,500.