With heavy showers predicted for Saturday's Epsom Derby, there are fears visitors may have to drive through a "lake" to get there.

Robert Russell contacted this newspaper last week after a large pool appeared at the roundabout next to the grandstands covering half of the road at Tattenham Corner. 

He said the issue, which the Epsom Guardian reported on last December, occurs every time there is significant rainfall in the Epsom Downs area.

At the time Surrey County Council (SCC) said it had experts looking into the problem so it could be fixed permanently.

Mr Russell said: "Perhaps we will get a nice down pour of rain on the 4th or 5th June this year and it just might prompt someone to get it sorted.

"If this lake is there during the Derby festival it will just make Epsom look stupid to the rest of the world.

"Not sure why it has not been sorted before.  Perhaps no one can agree whose problem it is.

"This seems to have only happened since the new style grandstand."

In December, SCC said it was aware of the issue and its drainage team was conducting investigations to identify and provide a permanent solution to the problem. 

This week, a spokeswoman said: "We have excavated this stretch of road and uncovered quite a large drainage system which is not functioning properly, possibly because of encroaching grass verges or silt.

"We are addressing this initially by clearing and protecting it, such as by installing kerbs to hold back the verges, and hope this will do the trick.

"If not we will take further actions until we resolve the problem successfully.

"It makes sense in providing value for money for our residents to try the most economical approach first."