A supply teacher has been left out of work and out of pocket after breaking her ankle tripping in a pothole.

Emma Hey had been walking home from the railway station along Cockering Road in Chartham with her partner Ben Holt last Tuesday evening when she stepped in the crater and fell to the ground.

The 41-year-old, who lives in Hillside Place, says she lay in the road as cars sped past while Mr Holt tried desperately to move her to safety.

“It was dark but we had a torch and we were walking facing oncoming traffic in single file,” she said.

“All of a sudden I hit a pothole and my foot went from under me.

“I just went down flat, nearly on my face, and fell into the road.”

She says except for two drivers who stopped to see if she was OK, others just sped past.

“If Ben wasn’t there to wave down traffic I don’t think anyone would have seen me,” she said.

“I don’t like to think what would have happened if I’d been on my own.”

Art teacher Ms Hey, who must wear a supportive boot for up to eight weeks, says she was due to work at a school the next day as a supply teacher, but had to cancel due to her injury.

“I don’t get any income if I’m not at work,” she said.

“I’m also doing an occupational therapist course which involves a placement.

“I can’t do this placement now and instead have to wait to do it. It means I’m going to go three months without earnings.”

Ms Hey says the potholes need to be filled, but the damaged 60mph road is not the only issue.

“The speed limit needs to be reduced to 30mph or 40mph and there needs to be some sort of calming measures,” she said.

“It was scary laying there with cars going past so fast.

“They always speed along there, even though they’re coming into a village.

“The parish council was trying to get something done but apparently we have to wait for a fatality before anything happens.

“It just seems ridiculous that Kent Highways will wait for someone to die before something is done.”

Kent County Council spokesman Thom Morris says officers visited Cockering Road after receiving the report from Ms Hey. We have ordered the two potholes found for repair and this will be done shortly,” he said.

Mr Morris says in relation to speeding concerns, the authority has to make “tough decisions” on where to make changes to roads across Kent.

“KCC has to prioritise its remedial works where specific mitigating schemes have been identified to solve a particular road safety matter,” he said.

“We’re happy to consider all requests as long as residents go through the steps outlined on www.kent.gov.uk/highways.”

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