Colchester man hoping to report every pothole in city

A community activist with 23 years of experience as a civil servant, Simon Collis has taken it upon himself to report as many potholes as possible to Essex Highways.

Simon travels across the city, taking photos of each pothole he comes across, reporting it, then sharing it on his popular Facebook page, so residents can also report holes in their roads.

His community activism page boasts more than 2,100 loyal followers, who reach out to inform him of potholes in their vicinity.

He estimates he has been reporting potholes across the city for six years.

Simon’s passion for his community began at a young age. As a teenager he started charity work at the Youth Town Council for Harwich, becoming the Youth Town Council mayor aged just 14.

Simon frequently engages in community activities purchasing toys out of his own money, giving them away to less fortunate families.

He has recently completed a project which saw him giving away baby bottles and £200 worth of baby milk and formula to families in need.

Simons' ethos is that any one man or woman can make a valuable contribution to their community through small efforts to better their surroundings.

He said: “I want to show people that one person can make a difference.

“I may not be able to change the world, but I can change a small part of our world for the better, and I want to show people.

Giant - Simon with what he calls a 'dinosaur footprint' pothole in Colchester. (Image: Newsquest)

“I personally want to give back to the community that raised me, I want to show what one person can do, I want to inspire others.

“I’m fully aware of the cost-of-living crisis, which means people cannot always donate to charity, but I need to set an example for the people of Colchester and show people that they can better their community, without needing to spend money.”

To report potholes to Simon, or follow his journey, as he looks to become a councillor, visit his page at bit.ly/3YcgrKD.