A man has decided to drown dolls in a protest against poor road maintenance. Neville Daytona, 56, bought the dolls in a charity shop so he could install them in particularly deep potholes. So far he has only chosen long-haired blonde dolls, rather than any Ken dolls or action men. Their heads were above water, so technically they were just having a soak. The idea is that the suffering dolls were supposed to warn fellow motorcyclists which parts of the road to avoid. It actually worked, as Swindon Borough Council has now stepped in to fix the ‘underlying issue’.

Dad-of-three Neville placed them on a route over the M4 in Swindon. “The roads are disgusting. Everyone’s moaning about it,” he said. “I ride a motorbike, cycle and drive. On a motorcycle or bicycle you have to swerve all over the road to avoid the potholes – if you don’t you’re wincing. “So I thought I’d do something amusing about it.”