Fuming bloke makes use of 18-inch naan breads to cowl potholes as council hits again
Farhan Hussain, who runs Shelford Spice in Great Shelford, said customers constantly complain about the state of Woollards Lane, where his restaurant sits
A fuming restaurant owner has resorted to using 18-inch naan breads to cover potholes in a Cambridgeshire village, sparking thousands of reactions online and prompting a response from the council.
Farhan Hussain, who runs Shelford Spice in Great Shelford, said customers constantly complain about the state of Woollards Lane, where his restaurant sits. He said the road has become so broken that driving along the short stretch feels like navigating a maze.
On one recent journey to work, he found himself crawling along at just 10mph to avoid the “deep” potholes scattered across it. Fed up with the lack of action, Farhan decided to highlight the problem in a way he hoped would get people talking.
In a light-hearted video posted on social media, he can be seen placing an 18-inch naan bread directly into one of the potholes. The bread fits perfectly into the cavity and even stays in place as a car drives over it.
“The video was a playful way of highlighting a genuine issue that affects our customers, neighbours and wider community every single day,” he said.
Farhan said the potholes are not just an annoyance but a serious concern for local residents.
“Shelford is known for having a lot of elderly residents, and this is not really inviting or welcoming. It makes it difficult to move around safely. The message of the video is simple, we care about Great Shelford. We are speaking up because our community deserves better.”
Great Shelford was named one of the best places to live by The Sunday Times earlier this year, and Farhan believes the village should live up to that reputation.
He recently travelled to the Middle East with his wife and said the difference in road quality was striking. “The roads there were silky smooth. It is very welcoming and inviting. That is what we need for Shelford. Shelford is known to be a luxurious sort of area, but with potholes along a little stretch of road, it is not going to be inviting for people.”
Despite the humorous approach, Farhan insisted he was not wasting food. The naan used in the video was later fed to ducks and seagulls. “We are not trying to waste food, we are just a local business that really cares about our community and that is all it is,” he said.
After being viewed thousands of times, the video has now reached Cambridgeshire County Council, which is responsible for maintaining the county’s roads. A spokesperson acknowledged the light-hearted nature of the stunt but urged Farhan and others to report potholes through the council’s online tool.
“Whilst we recognise the light-hearted nature of this video, we would urge the restaurant owner and anyone else to report any potholes or concerns in their area,” the spokesperson said.
“There has recently been a water leak outside the Tesco store in Woollards Lane, which has been fixed but further work may be needed. We will inspect the road and arrange for any necessary repairs.”
The council reiterated its call for residents to report problems through their online tool as soon as they spot them. “It is easy to use and flags any faults for inspection which have not yet been marked,” the spokesperson added.
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