'It's absolute bedlam': residents hit out at South Downs sinkhole chaos

Southern Water shut the A283 at Storrington when the sinkhole was first found on Tuesday leading to gridlock with angry drivers stuck in traffic queues.

Now villagers say nearby residential roads can’t cope with the volume of cars and lorries trying to get through.

Local resident Laura Bennett said: “It’s an accident waiting to happen.” She said people living off Meadowside and in Browns Lane and Church Street were getting stuck in their roads.

“All traffic coming through Storrington is trying to get down a single track road. An ambulance was unable to get down last night and people are driving up pavements."

She said the problems were being exacerbated because some drivers were ignoring ‘Road Closed’ signs, then getting stuck. “It’s absolute bedlam.”

Southern Water say that they have now alerted West Sussex County Council Highways to deal with the sinkhole after discovering the problem had been caused by a cracked storm drain.

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The village has faced a number of major traffic problems over the past few weeks because of road closures while Southern Water carried out repairs to a water main.

In a statement, Southern Water said: “Following our investigations into the sinkhole on the A283 in Storrington, we’ve found the root cause to be a cracked storm drain.

“West Sussex Highways will be looking after the repair to the pipe and road from now on.”

The county council has been approached for comment.