A Wantage man is calling on the county council to improve the state of its roads after poor road conditions caused him to suffer what he has described as a 'near fatal' accident.

The incident happened earlier this month when John Brown was travelling on the A4130 through Didcot. 

Mr Brown was approaching a roundabout in the middle lane when the uneven surface of the road, which was covered in gravel and obscuring a dip, caused the front wheel of his motorbike to slip, throwing him forward into the back of a car.

Mr Brown required immediate medical attention at the scene and was transferred to hospital, with his motorbike written off. He said the crash has caused him long term injuries, notably shooting back pains which have in turn affected his mental health.                                       

Mr Brown said: “I went back to the accident site to photograph and video the road. It’s chipped and cracked in many places and there was no signage in place to inform road users of the condition of the road or the upcoming dip.

"I could have died. People only warned me that the road was in such a bad state afterwards and said not to travel in the middle lane.”

He has now instructed legal representation and wishes to sue the county council to receive compensation. Since initiating proceedings, he said the county council has attempted to eschew responsibility for the condition of the roads and instead place it with South Oxfordshire District Council, despite being the authority responsible for highways.

Mr Brown added: "This isn’t about compensation. It’s about the council not doing right by road users and now they’re trying to pass the blame. I’ve got biking friends in the county, and I know many bikers use that road.

"It’s the fear I have for them – I would never want anyone to experience what I did, nor anything worse. I nearly lost my life because of these conditions. It’s all-round Oxfordshire.”

A spokesperson for Oxfordshire County Council said: “As this is an ongoing compensation claim and a legal matter, it would be inappropriate for us to comment.

"Oxfordshire County Council is not responsible for street cleansing. If the claim relates to debris on the highway, the claimant should contact the relevant district council.”

Ian Snowdon, Didcot West ward county and district councillor, said: “Highways in Oxfordshire are in turmoil and we have a cabinet member who is Oxford-centric.

"You really couldn’t make this up on top of the chaos predicted with the upcoming Manor Bridge closure and Didcot recently being refused £300 million in new road infrastructure.

"We’re getting a raw deal, being treated like second class citizens when it comes to highways. It just goes on and on.”