The fifteen penises spray-painted next to pot-holes in Cock Lane, Fetcham have been covered up with black paint by the council.

FROM LAST WEEK: Penis graffiti is believed to be in protest against Cock Lane potholes

The phallic symbols, which appeared overnight on Monday, September 28, were initially dismissed as an "act of pure vandalism" by a Surrey County councillor.

But the state of the road led some residents to believe it might have been "some sort of protest".

Surrey County Council earmarked the road as part of Operation Horizon, a £100m project to fix the county’s worst roads, which began in 2013, but repairs are yet to start.

John Furey, Surrey County Council cabinet member for highways, transport and flooding, maintained that it was an ineffective protest and an act of vandalism.

He said: "We dealt with it because it was something we did not want to remain on our roads.

"You do not need to do graffiti that is not nice for children to see on the road.

"I do not think it was frustration, I think it was vandalism.

"There are hundreds and thousands of residents who do use the right methods of contacting us. When we have the report, we deal with it."