Good samaritan Sir Rod Stewart fills in potholes near his home, jokes: My Ferrari can't go through'

In a video uploaded to Instagram by rock legend Sir Rod Stewart last week, he can be seen in a neon yellow vest filling in the potholes near his residence. The British rock and pop singer lives in Essex, United Kingdom. In the clip, he explains that the road has "always been like this" and that "no one really bothered" to fix it up. So, evidently, he decided to take matters into his own hands by grabbing a shovel and getting to work. He was joined by a group of friends who kindly lent him a helping hand, Bored Panda reports.

"We are filling the holes while millions and millions of pounds have been spent on the M11, right over there," he states, pointing towards the highway. "People are bashing their cars up. The other day, there was an ambulance with a burst tire." Clearly, the road was in dire need of repair and the local government had thus far refused to take accountability for the much-required construction work. Despite the gravity of the situation, Sir Stewart decided to lighten the mood with a little joke. Smirking, he adds in the video, "My Ferrari can’t go through here at all."

The video was posted to Instagram with the following caption: "Working for a living, filling holes is good for the soul!" It has, of course, been received incredibly positively. Instagram users flocked to the comments section to praise the rock and roll star. One user commented, "Absolutely brilliant, Sir Rod. And you do it well with the Celtic gear on. Keep filling, good luck! See you at Glasgow Paradise." Speaking of concerts, some users decided to fool around a bit too. "Don't hurt yourself," an Instagrammer posted. "I got tickets to see you in June." Meanwhile, others shared how their roads were similarly in disrepair.

For instance, one person noted, "Well said. I live in Harlow and the roads are [becoming] a joke with the [number] of holes." As a result of the damning commentary—as well as the unfortunate truth that a tax-paying citizen had to do the work his local council should have been responsible for—a spokesperson for Essex Highways issued a statement. "Whilst we appreciate Sir Rod’s commitment to improving his community, we would discourage anyone from doing work on the roads themselves," they affirmed. " Because without proper traffic management and other specific safety measures, residents are putting themselves at risk." However, it could be argued that residents would be more at risk if the roads had never been repaired. 

For example, one Instagram user shared, "Oooh you little gem! [I] got a flat tyre and dented wheel rim there the other week! We contacted the council but no joy so far!" Therefore, it may just be time for the Essex Highways Department to listen to and finally residents' woes before they decide to take matters into their own hands just like Sir Stewart chose to. You can watch the video of him and his crew hard at work below.