Teeside council have admitted that they are using paintings of tarmac to disguise many of the potholes in local roads.
Local artists have been hired to render realistic images of tarmac and other road surfaces, to enable the potholes to blend in to the highway.
But residents have pointed out that the holes are still holes, and now that they are less visible they represent an even greater danger to cars.
The council released a statement saying the measure was not intended to disguise the road maintenance problem, and that they had commissioned local artists to "promote community relations" and "support the local art scene"
But locals suspect there may be another reason the council have made this unusual move.
"They're just doing it to cover up the English flags I painted in the holes", said a resident who did not want to be named. "I was trying to see if it would force them to fix the potholes. Pity it didn't work"
"But I've started painting the Israel flag instead" He said. "That works a bit better. I got one hole filled in with manure"
Image: MabelAmber - Pixabay
