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EXCLUSIVE: A landscaper was so fed up about potholes in his native space that he determined to take issues into his personal arms and do one thing about them for the better good
09:00, 09 Feb 2025Updated 09:09, 09 Feb 2025
One man determined to take a pothole downside into his personal arms(Image: (Image: Harry_pretty_potholes/ TikTok))
One man was so tired of dodging potholes in his local area that he started planting flowers and plants in them to send a message.
Harry Smith-Haggett first grabbed attention last year when his unconventional approach to fixing potholes blew up on TikTok. At that point, he had only filled in a few of the craters with soil and plants, but since then has scaled up a side hustle doing it – but taking money out of his own pocket for the never-ending task.
Hailing from West Horsham, the 23-year-old dons a bright pink high-vis and takes to roads, car parks and residential areas to do the job he claims the council failed to do.
In his viral TikTok movies, the place he movies himself placing soil and vegetation into the potholes to indicate his nearly 50,000 followers, Harry receives 1000’s of feedback celebrating his actions, with requests he do extra of their native areas. Despite being a landscaper, Harry had no expertise in gardening earlier than he got here up with the thought.
Harry first discovered potholes round his home(Image: (Image: Harry_pretty_potholes/ TikTok))
“There was one dangerous pothole on my street and I used to be going previous it daily. It had been sprayed and nothing had been performed about it for months and I believed what can I do about it to make individuals smile and ensure nobody goes by way of the pothole as a result of you’ll be able to hardly see it and it was deep,” Harry explained to the Daily Star
“So then I believed I’d go put some vegetation in that and I believed ‘wow I enjoyed doing that, I’ll do it once more’ some [TikTok] views began coming and I believed it was good.”
Harry specialised in “onerous landscaping,” including fencing, decorating, planting among other jobs. But his latest profit-free venture appears to be doing the trick.
“It’s working, the potholes are being filled now,” he added relating to the council’s actions. However, they do not publicly acknowledge Harry’s actions.
“No one from any council has said anything. Whether it’s me or not that is pushing them to be filled, the way I think about it, there was a pothole and now there isn’t since I planted in it. Whether it’s the plants or not, I’ve got a role to play in it I’d say.”
Harry’s enterprise began in his native space, most only a few roads from his home, however has since expanded. “When I started getting more of the attention online, I get people requesting road names. I get road names, I check them out and if they’re worthy of adding a plant, I will do and if not I go onto the next.”
The job is lengthy and brutal, with Harry including potholes are “everywhere,” each in his dwelling of West Horsham and past. It’s been uncovered {that a} surprising 413,094 potholes have been reported final yr alone, with a jaw-dropping almost half a billion quid chucked at attempting to patch up these repairs.
Online commenters put in requests for his or her native potholes to be stuffed(Image: (Image: Harry_pretty_potholes/ TikTok))
While the council stayed quiet, his followers have not. He gets plenty of positive feedback. “They find it irresistible, you get some unfavourable feedback however you must settle for it. I don’t care both method, if it’s working, it’s ok for me.
“Even when we’re just filming the video, if three cars go around it I think that’s mission accomplished. That’s at least three tyres. Regardless of how many numbers wise, that’s better than nothing
Harry, who is the founder of his own company, HSH Services, doesn’t do this for profit, but in the hopes cars can be protected while sending a strong message to the council.
“It’s all out of my pocket. Everyone smiles once they see me doing it, that’s mission completed in itself, seeing individuals comfortable.”
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