A ‘KILLER pothole’ has been blamed for the death last year of West Somerset motorcyclist Gary Thorn.

Mr Thorn, a lorry driver who lived in Tower Hill, Stogursey, died when he lost control of his bike on a bend in Cockrod, Walton, near Street.

The crash happened at about 2.20pm on May 10, 2023, killing 61-year-old Mr Thorn instantly.

An inquest into his death heard how Mr Thorn appeared to have hit ‘a large pothole in the road surface which upset his balance’.

Somerset assistant coroner Stephen Covell said the impact put Mr Thorn on to ‘a different trajectory’ to the one he intended and he failed to negotiate a ‘sweeping left-hand bend’.

Mr Covell said: “Mr Thorn was unable to correct his steering and his bike left the carriageway and came to rest in a hedgerow.”

Mr Thorn suffered ‘unsurvivable injuries’ and was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

The inquest, held in the Old Municipal Buildings, Taunton, was told the pothole was later repaired by Somerset Council.

Mr Covell concluded it was a case of ‘accidental death’.

Mr Thorn’s catering assistant wife Lynn said at the time of the crash how the family were all ‘heartbroken’ at the loss of ‘a loving husband, son, dad, and grampy’.

Somerset Council, which has responsibility for road maintenance, did not respond when the Free Press asked why the pothole into which Mr Thorn drove was not repaired until some time after his crash.

But on its website it claimed when potholes were reported, they were inspected within three working days and repairs would be planned as set out in its 81-page highway safety inspection manual.

A spokesperson told the Free Press: “We are always concerned to hear about collisions on our roads and have assisted the police with their investigations into this tragic incident.

“We offer our sincere condolences to Mr Thorn’s family.

“All our roads are inspected and maintained in line with our safety standards, but we also encourage members of the public to report any problems to us so we can inspect and take action.”

The spokesperson said more information could be found by visiting https://www.somerset.gov.uk/roads-travel-and-parking/potholes-and-road-damage

West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger coincidentally this week raised the issue of Somerset road maintenance during a Parliamentary debate on transport infrastructure, stating that in 2022 there were 60,000 potholes on the county’s highways.

Mr Liddell-Grainger said: “Somerset county has spent hugely on roads over many years. Unfortunately, it does not really work.”

He said one way to resolve the issue was by using technology, such as ‘some quite remarkable machines that fill in potholes’ which councils in Devon, Somerset, and Cornwall could look at buying ‘as a collective’.

Mr Liddell-Grainger said: “There is no secret that in Somerset we have a financial crisis. We have a lot of work to do, and if we do not do the work on roads, they just get worse.

“Then more money is required, and it a self-fulfilling prophecy.”