How many people does it take to fill a hole? Evidently, quite a few - one to fill the hole, and the rest to share the experience.

The story so far: several weeks ago a potentially hazardous hole appeared in Lowfield Lane, Knapton. I know this because I fell down it while trying to lift Gary, my mother-in-law’s dog, into my car. I reported the hole to City of York Council. Within a matter of days, a rapid response team was despatched to Knapton to mark the spot with two traffic cones.

Time passed. Weeks later, another team was despatched. They left four more cones and a small pile of soil. Things were looking promising. The suspense was killing us.

More weeks passed. During heavy rain, the soil congealed into one amorphous lump; grass started growing on the top. Now it’s a grassy knoll rather than a pile of soil - and still no sign of anyone attempting to fill the hole. Word on the street says that as we speak top-level discussions are taking place between the council and Yorkshire Water about whose job it is.

Watch this space for further developments: ‘Man fills hole’ would make a great headline.

David Newman, Dalmally Close, York