Drivers have been left stranded on the side of the A303 near Basingstoke after a large pothole damaged dozens of vehicles. More than 30 cars had burst tyres and some motorists had to wait for hours to be recovered, according to ITV.com.

Part of the slip road, which joins the M3, was closed but those affected say they were ‘outraged’ that the road has been left in such poor condition. National Highways said the pothole had been repaired after it was initially reported.

An inspection was then carried out on Thursday but the agency said “adverse weather conditions” of Storm Goretti caused the repair “to fail”.

Traffic officers out on patrol went to help after coming across three vehicles on the hard shoulder of the M3 just after 7pm on Thursday.

National Highways said their staff were told the damage to vehicles was caused by a pothole on the A303 entry slip road prior to joining the motorway. A maintenance team was then sent to repair the road.

The inner lane of the slip road was closed on Friday for safety reasons and whilst further assessments could be carried out. Further repairs are due to take place on the slip road surface on Friday night.

A National Highways spokesperson said:

“Safety is our primary concern, and we set stringent standards for pothole repairs on our roads. We regularly carry out inspections to help reduce the potential for potholes to form. We also encourage members of the public to tell us if they find any potholes so that we can repair them as swiftly as possible.

“When potholes do occur, we repair them as soon as possible, and any defects that pose a risk to safety are repaired within 24 hours.”

(Picture: National Highways)