One of the redesigned potholes. (Martin McCabe via SWNS)
By Jack Fifield
An anonymous vigilante has been spray-painting penises around potholes in a seaside town to try to force the Adur & Worthing Council to repair them.
About six potholes in Worthing, West Sussex, England have been struck by the mystery artist in the past two weeks.
And the phallic artwork seems to have successfully attracted the local council’s attention as some have already been repaired.
Worthing’s ‘Pothole Patrol,’ made up of former local politician Martin McCabe and town crier Bob Smytherman, have been forced to deny they are responsible.
Speculation has been mounting as locals have begun to suspect the pair might be behind the crude imagery.
Martin McCabe (right) and Bob Smytherman (left) have denied they're behind penis graffiti appearing around several potholes. (Martin McCabe via SWNS)
Martin said: “Lots of people locally I’ve spoken to are positing various theories about who it could be – there’s a bit of an amateur investigation going on.
“At this stage, I’m no clearer as to who is responsible for it.
“The main [theory] seems to be that it’s the Pothole Patrol – at the moment we’re the main people that people are linking with it.
“But, as I say, it’s not us and we don’t know who it is.”
Martin McCabe, 44, a father of two who is running for local election as part of the Labour Party, said the penises showed that local frustration was “overspilling” onto the streets.
Half a dozen spray-painted penises were painted around potholes on the town’s roads. (Martin McCabe via SWNS)
He said: “We don’t condone it.
“But you can see that people are getting extremely frustrated with the problem, and it’s just further proof of the pothole crisis we’ve got in Worthing.”
On Facebook, residents were supportive of the artwork.
Lejla Fenton commented: “Thank you to whoever did this. It makes it a damn sight easier to spot for us cyclists, therefore making us safer.”
Guy Barber joked: “They look like quite a stiff reminder to the council.”
Gemma Sadler wrote: “W•••sy. Love his work!!”
And John Patrick Gibbons posted: “They needed to be highlighted.
A member of the community keeps spray-painting penises on potholes. (Martin McCabe via SWNS)
“One of those is deep enough to kill a cyclist or wreck a car.”
In January, West Sussex County Council was rated “amber” by the Department for Transport for how effectively it repairs potholes and invests in preventative maintenance.
In February 2026 alone, more than 7,000 potholes were reported in the county—with the council saying it repaired “more than 3,700 defects.”
The spray-painted penises popped up randomly and no one has taken credit. (Martin McCabe via SWNS)
This was compared to just 2,366 being reported in February 2025 and 2,533 repaired.
A West Sussex County Council spokesperson said: “We do not condone vandalism, and we strongly urge people not to put themselves, or others, at risk by entering a live carriageway unnecessarily.
“Doing so is dangerous and could lead to a serious accident.
“Graffiti and other such activities around potholes will not accelerate repairs, which we prioritize based on severity and safety risks – not on the level of awareness or publicity generated.”
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