Austerity has been blamed for the delay in Helston’s potholes being properly filled by Cornwall Council.

Town councillor Dave Potter raised the question at the last council meeting of when Helston would see some permanent repairs made to its roads surfaces, rather than what he called “temporary fixes.”

Mike Thomas, who represents Helston at both town and county level, said there was some “strain on the system,” adding that he had previously been told Station Road would be resurfaced in April and they were now at the end of May.

“It’s a result of austerity and a lack of funding from central government to local government departments,” he said.

Mr Thomas added that there were also other factors in play, such as the weather and that a new machine was apparently now being used to fill potholes, which the contractors believed would do the job to a “much higher standard.”

He guaranteed to the town council that he would continue to chase Cormac until the work was complete.

Mr Potter responded: “I just hope it’s done before the weather turns in October time. It seems a long time away, but the way these things get done this will be upon us very quickly.”

Mr Thomas’s fellow Cornwall councillor and town mayor John Martin said he believed there was a pothole completion deadline of August, when the programme of repairs would be restarted.