A COLLAPSED pavement that has plagued Knutsford for three years has become a tourist attraction.

Exasperated residents have christened the big hole, which keeps re-appearing on Toft Road, after the Danish king who gave the town its name.

‘King Canute’s Great Sink Hole’ has already attracted reviews on Google, with an impressive 4.7 rating!

Locals hope humour might trigger a once and for all solution to the sunken crater, between Curzon cinema and the railway station.

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One reviewer said: “After the sinkhole was covered up, by what I can only assume must have been heartless local vandals, I was thrilled to see that this stunning Knutsford landmark had been restored back to its original beauty!

“The genius nature of this iconic spot blurs the line between art and architecture.

“It requires you to question the importance of time and its relation to you, as you are forced to walk around the town itself in order to visit both its east and west viewing areas.

“A life changing experience that I am truly honoured to live in proximity to.”

Another admirer added: “Impressive in size, this national treasure only makes me nervous in case NASA and/ or other space agencies mistake the crater for something that requires further investigation - that would exacerbate road congestion in the area.

“It’s so vast I doubt even the Mars Rover would survive a landing.

“Rather luckily, this death trap also provides a double-whammy by encouraging people to walk into the path of oncoming traffic as they endeavour to navigate round it rather than follow the ‘handy’ diversion.

“It could only be made better if the road next to it collapses too. Magnificent!

Another reviewer said: “Who needs a mundane pavement when you can have a pavement with personality?

“Enter the Sinkhole Suite – a surprise holiday spot right beneath your feet!

“This quirky little chasm is like the VIP section of pavements, offering impromptu dips for the daring and unexpected ankle workouts for the agile.

“It's the urban jungle's way of saying, 'You wanted excitement? Here's a shortcut to China!'

“With its artistic touch of chaos, the Sinkhole Suite turns mundane strolls into spontaneous adventures.

“So, lace up those shoes and prepare for a ground-breaking experience that's one part pavement, two parts portal to the unknown! I wouldn't want to look at any other hole!”

The footpath was cordoned off for many months in 2022 as various statutory bodies and specialist contractors strived to identify the cause of the subsidence.

In January, last year, the problem was thought to have been rectified when another sinkhole re-emerged.

However, despite remedial work being carried out, the footpath has collapsed again twice in the past four months.

One anxious resident said: “Three years to fix it is really not on.”

People fear an accident could happen as some pedestrians are stepping out onto the busy road to avoid a safe detour.”

One man said: “It is a death trap and has gone on for far too long.”

A spokesman for Knutsford Town Council said: “The Town Council continues to be incredibly frustrated with the glacial progress being made to repair the pavement and is extremely concerned about the safety of pedestrians which we see day-after-day walking precariously on the pavement around the hole.

“The last update we received was six weeks ago when we were advised that investigations had ascertained the tunnel which has collapsed is a conduit for effluent and therefore was the responsibility of United Utilities to repair.

“We are awaiting a further update to hear what has happened in the last six weeks and if they have moved any closer to commencing works to repair the hole.”

The Guardian has asked Cheshire East Council and United Utilities for a comment.