The mum of a 22-year-old who died in a motorbike crash fears someone else could be killed on the road he had his accident on.

Kieran Ingram lost his life in Park Pale, Shorne, close to the M2, between Strood and Gravesend, on June 8, 2022.

An inquest into his death heard a collapsed manhole cover may have contributed to his fatal accident – and his mother firmly believes he would still be alive today if it had been repaired.

But a year on and it is yet to be fixed, with Kent County Council (KCC) – which is responsible for highways management – saying it is not in line for any work.

David Whitehead is the transport manager at Harlex, whose depot is at the end of the road.

Speaking at the inquest in November, he told coroner Alan Blunsdon there was a point where the surface sank a little, with two drain covers, followed by a large bump in the road.

He said colleagues had told him it had been there for years and it was bad enough that he and the other drivers routinely swung around the hump rather than passing over it.

Although he had not seen the accident, Mr Whitehead said: "I suspect that Kieran hit that bump. It is enough to take anyone off a bike."

A year later, Mr Whitehead confirmed to KentOnline nothing has changed despite it being reported a number of times.

He added: “It is dangerous and it needs to be fixed. A lad hit it and lost his life. It 100% needs sorting out. We cannot drive a car over it, it is like hitting a kerb or a little speed bump.”

Mum Charlotte Ingram, of New Road, Cliffe, has said she believes her son Kieran, who she described as a “fun loving lad with a lust for life”, would still be alive if the road had been repaired.

She added: “The report is clear that Kieran’s accident would not have happened if the road had been in better condition.

“I am angry that Kieran lost his life over something that should have been repaired long before his accident, but my biggest issue is that this could easily happen to someone else.

“I was told that they should not have been down there on motorbikes, which may be true but does that mean they deserve to die?”

Det Sgt Peter Grieves told the inquest that the police do routinely report matters such as the bump in the road to the highways authority following an accident.

The force confirmed a highway information report was sent off in November.

The form goes to traffic management who do an assessment of the road. They then pass their findings onto the highways agency.

A spokesman for KCC said: “We carry out regular checks of all our roads and have visited Park Pale, with no obvious signs of a bump or depression that would require a maintenance intervention in line with our risk-based approach.

“In response to complaints of drivers speeding in this location, KCC installed a prohibition of motor vehicles restriction on Park Pale from Brewers Road junction to prohibit access except for access.”

Members of the public can log concerns about roads in Kent on its website here.

Kieran’s friends and family have since held a football match in his memory raising more than £9,700 for the air ambulance service and construction industry charity Lighthouse Club.