A Tempest is brewing in Shakespeare's hometown with locals claiming to have the 'UK's oldest pothole'.<br /><br />The 24-year-old crater is just yards away from Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, where the Bard was baptised and later buried.<br /><br />The pothole was first spotted in 2000 after an infected tree was felled and the roots dug out.<br /><br />Despite repeated appeals to have the hole repaired, it has remained unfilled and is now a whopping 9ft long.<br /><br />Locals have branded the hole "ridiculous" and say it is becoming a landmark in it's own right.<br /><br />David Neale, who is clerk of works for Holy Trinity Church, said: “It is spectacular. <br /><br />“No fish have been found in its depths but it’s accommodated plenty of ducks.<br /><br />“In winter it acts as a soakaway, and is permanently submerged with water, in summer it is a big dry pothole attracting rubbish because the road sweeper can’t reach into it.<br /><br />“Back in the mists of time I spoke to a councillor about it, and the council must know it’s here. <br /><br />"I’ve recently brought it up again, so hopefully something might be done - it’s a trip hazard. <br /><br />“Otherwise I’m going to get gnomes with fishing rods and turn it into an attraction.”<br /><br />Retired builder David added: “I was amazed to read that the council had paid out £78,000 for pothole damage when to repair potholes isn’t costly - even to repair this one would be less than a day’s work.<br /><br />“The cost of tarmac is negligible if you’re going to do a lot of them, ten ton of tarmac is only about £500.<br /><br />Motorists have also expressed frustration that the pothole has not been fixed.<br /><br />Andrew Howell, 50, said: “It’s a bit of a town joke having the country’s oldest pothole but there is a serious safety issue here. <br /><br />“I’ve seen cars swerve to avoid it and come close to hitting other vehicles. <br />In the winter it’s more like a pond while in the summer it’s a dust bowl.<br /><br />“It’s ridiculous that no one has filled it in yet considering it’s been there for almost a quarter-of-a-century."
