GRAPHIC IMAGES: Cyclist suffers horrific facial injuries after hitting a nine-inch deep pothole on Milton Keynes road

WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES: CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE AFTERMATH OF SIMON’S ACCIDENT

Bletchley dad-of-two Simon Moss suffered a broken jaw, cheek and nose , a split lip requiring stitches and a fracture to his spine.

The accident, which also cost him four teeth, happened on Sunday morning near Stony Stratford.

Because the pothole was filled with water after heavy rain, skilled cyclist Simon could not see it.

“He didn’t stand a chance. The impact snapped his bike in half and he landed flat on his face on the road,” said Leigh Smith, who is a fellow member of MK’s JCA Equipe Velo cycling club.

Simon was rushed to MK hospital then transferred to John Radcliffe for surgery to have metal plates inserted in his shattered face.

His cycling buddy Jez Honor posted photos of the injuries, the pothole and the ruined bike on Facebook, saying: “Our roads are officially a disgrace.”

The post has now gone viral.

It states: “It was only a matter of time before somebody was going to be nearly killed by our roads that are becoming increasingly dangerous for all users.”

“We are not talking the odd required repair that’s missed... This is years of under investment. It’s just not acceptable,” it adds.

Simon, who lives in Roache Gardens, is in his forties and works for a cycling company.

He is an experienced cyclist who has been riding for 20 years. He even cycles from MK to Leighton Buzzard to work every day.

Leigh Smith said: “Our club is a member of British Cycling and we have insurance with them. We’re planning to sue MK Council for compensation for the injuries that Simon received because of this pothole.”

Last year MK Council received 46 claims for pothole damage. The total of pay-out for successful claims from members of the public in 2016 was just over £1.2K.

A spokesman for Milton Keynes council said: “We’re very sorry to hear about Mr Moss’s experience and injuries. Following notification by a local resident, we inspected the site of the pothole on 26 April and sent a gang out to repair it on 29 April.

“We invite both cyclists to contact us so that we can apologise and talk them through the claims process.”