A thriller roadworks vigilante who's being hunted by highways chiefs after illicitly filling in an enormous pothole in Cornwall has damaged his silence on the controversy.

He says the native authority must be thanking him, fairly than looking him.  The nameless highway repairer reportedly spent £1,000 of his personal cash to fill in a 10ft-wide gap with concrete in a highway in Lostwithiel.

The highway has been closed for greater than a month whereas ready for a contractor to clear a backlog of labor earlier than transferring in on the crater in Bodmill Hill. The delay has brought about outrage amongst residents and motorists, who've needed to discover diversions away from the closed highway. 

READ MORE: Explosive pothole rant startles Channel 5 presenter - ‘I’m fed up with them’

The man informed a newspaper's web site that removed from being a eager novice, he was, actually, an skilled highway employee who had taken motion to assist out the individuals who repeatedly used the route.

Keeping his anonymity, he stated: “I thought it was a good thing to do personally. I think I did everybody a favour. If anything the council should be thanking me, not hunting me down. I spent seven hours and £1,000 hiring the equipment and buying materials.”

Once he had repaired the outlet, he moved the "road closed" indicators and limitations and reopened the thoroughfare. However, the council responded by sending out a highway upkeep workforce to reinstall the limitations and shut the highway once more. Officials on the council stated the work had been finished “by persons unknown, without consent”.

They then put out messages to residents, urging them to determine the offender. But the vigilante stated he was assured he wouldn't be betrayed. He stated: "Why kick up such a fuss? It was open for three days before they put the concrete blocks back. I think the council are just trying to save face now because they’re embarrassed.”

His actions earned him widespread acclaim both in the community and on social media. Even Jacob Rees-Mogg, MP for neighbouring North East Somerset, weighed in, lauding the guerrilla repairs. He said on Twitter: “The bureaucratic state hates being humiliated, so resorts to bullying the good citizen.”

However, his comments came under fire by local Lib Dem councillor Colin Martin, who had highlighted the unofficial work last week. He told a local newspaper: “The Conservatives would love nothing more than to see a battle of the public vs the public sector. Dividing society into 'hard working taxpayers' and 'incompetent bureaucratic elites’ is a classic populist tactic, which distracts from their own mismanagement and underfunding, and encourages voters to blame public sector workers for the problems they are valiantly trying to fix.”

But one nearby resident told MailOnline: “The person who filled it is a hero.” Another likened the mystery man to Sir Rod Stewart, who last year helped fill potholes near his home in Harlow, Essex.

The Independent reported that Cornwall Council’s roads repair company Cormac has said the road would stay shut until at least June 9, after it had caught up with its backlog of pothole repairs.

A spokesman for Cornwall Council said: “There is an ongoing issue with drainage at this site which has led to the deterioration of the road surface. These drainage issues have meant that any surface repairs during the winter have been temporary. As we are now moving into warmer and drier weather, Cormac can programme in the permanent drainage and surfacing repairs needed.”

Ironically, just a week after Cornwall's phantom pothole filler made national headlines it was revealed that Cornwall Council was among the best local authorities for pothole repairs. According to Cornwall Live, a study revealed that Cornwall featured in the top 10 in the UK where most potholes were repaired in 2022 outside London. Cornwall Council was placed tenth, repairing 19,847 holes.