A FURIOUS mum has been left with a bill of more than £300 after accidentally driving into a “giant pothole” outside Millhams tip in Bournemouth.

Michelle Henshaw-Ray said she would have to fork out the £310 excess on her insurance for repairs to a wheel on her Renault Megane Scenic.

And she said staff and visitors to the tip told her the same thing had happened to other motorists.

“I was coming out of the tip on Sunday afternoon when I spotted a giant pothole,” said Michelle, of Tamar Close, Ferndown.

“The road is very narrow and I had nowhere else to go because there were cars on the other side – there was an enormous bang when I drove down the hole and it frightened my eight-year-old daughter.”

Michelle said the vehicle could not be driven and added: “It was busy and it was a nightmare because we were holding everyone up and blocking the road.

“One of the men from the tip said other cars had been damaged in the same hole and said it had been reported to the council.”

Michelle said she needed a new tyre and repairs to an alloy wheel and added: “This is a bill I wasn’t expecting, I can’t afford to pay a £310 bill out of the blue.”

Stuart Best, street services manager for Bournemouth council said in a statement: “According to our records we have not received any recent reports of a pothole in Millhams Road. However, a member of our highway inspection team will survey the area as soon as possible.”

Motorists who wish to make a claim for damage to their vehicle should contact the council’s technical services team on 01202 451199.