Villagers are delighted that a pothole described as the Grand Canyon of Hernhill will finally be fixed.

The gradually-widening crater in Dawes Road has been causing havoc for residents for almost a year but Kent Highways has finally announced they will begin repairs within a matter of months.

The usually well-used route has been shut since December 2014.

Jenny Wallis, her husband Greg and their three children are one of the many families affected by the closure.

Mrs Wallis has to take a longer route to take her kids on the school run to Hernhill Primary School, or when she visits her parents outside of the village.

She said: “It’s not ideal for the school run and trying to get to my parents and does mean we have to take a slightly longer route.

“Highways have been great in keeping us informed about what is going on but we will be really glad to have the road back.

“It’s no pothole. It’s a huge crack in the road, like the Grand Canyon. It’s a relief that this is going to be open again so we are delighted to have the road back.”

Resurfacing Manager for Kent County Council Alan Casson said: “We closed the road in December to protect road users as a section of road had failed.

“Since then we have carried out a number of investigations to determine the cause, with a view to identifying an affordable engineering solution to safely repair the road and reopen it.

“The road failure was caused by a significant land slip underneath the road construction layers, and we are finalising the design of repair works.

“We expect these works to start in December and will inform residents when arrangements are finalised.”