Brackley campaigner Mr Pothole announces his retirement over mental health issues

Mr Morrell gets a closer look at a pothole on Bankside

Mark Morrell is hanging up his cape after nearly six years of being a pain in the backside to local authorities all over the UK, few more so than Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire county councils.

The current Brackley mayor said his mental health problems, a subject he openly talks about with his mayoral charity as Mind, have made him decide not to campaign any longer.

Mark Morrell AKA Mr Pothole delivers a notice to Northamptonshire County Council to force the repair of a pothole (Picture: Leila Coker)

“I am extremely luck to have the support of my long suffering wife. For those on their own, Mind can provide support,” he said.

Mr Morrell’s campaigning, which has seen him appear in two national documentaries, countless articles and radio shows, forced the repair of thousands of potholes and supported hundreds of claims, gaining millions of followers on social media.

The Transport Select Committee’s decision to launch an inquiry into the state of England’s roads is a proud achievement of his after years of calling for it.

“I am overwhelmed by the messages I have received from people since I announced my stopping campaigning. I didn’t expect it,” he said.

I hope that the inquiry by the Transport Select Committee makes a difference.”