A father of two young boys has criticised Essex Highways for not fixing a six-foot sink hole which appeared in the middle of a footpath.

The path along Spa Road in Witham started to dip at the end of April before an 18 inch deep hole appeared.

Despite reporting the issue to Essex Highways, Nicholas Andrews, 41, who regularly pushes his 11-month-old son, Paul, in his pram along the road, said the hole only had a plastic cover and cones put
over it.

The gap has now grown so large Mr Andrews, who lives in Crouch Drive, fears a child or someone in a mobility scooter could fall in.

He said: "If someone goes over in a disability scooter they will just drop in.

"It hasn’t got any barriers around it, just a temporary cover which doesn’t fit and I’m worried the ground that the cover is on could give way if someone walks over it.

"The ground underneath is all washed away and it’s been like it for about a month.

"It must be 6ft deep now. It needs to be sorted out."

It is thought a collapsed sewer underneath the path had caused the ground to fall in.

An Essex Highways spokesman said: "Our highways inspectors assessed a pavement void in Spa Road at
the end of April.

"It was measured as 18 inches deep and made safe with barriers.

"It is currently being investigated and we have asked utility providers for their technical drawings of the
location so the cause can be identified."