MORE than 30 years later, it seems not a lot has changed.

Amid the lobbying from Mr Pothole in recent weeks to improve the state of Oxfordshire's roads, this picture from 1985 proves the crumbling tarmac in and around the city is not a new phenomenon.

Here, Edward Lockyer points to the gaps in the road that acted as the straw that broke the camel's back, or in this case, the hole that broke the bike.

The 27-year-old sent a bill to the council after he said he had to fork out for five lots of bike repairs in only seven weeks because of the parlous condition of Cowley Road.

The kitchen porter at University College reached the end of his tether after having to fix buckled bike wheels.

But despite the Groundhog day appearance of this story, one thing has changed since 1985 - his repair cost the then astronomic sum of £30, which these days wouldn't get you very far, let alone back on the road.

The bill was passed to the council's insurers, though it's not known if they paid out.