Your potatoes will probably be allright Sallym. I think you will see some new top growth. The problem is the slugs get down there and eat the potatoes as well. I don't let them do that.
I put a porous membrane in the bottom of the bucket so that they can't climb in from the bottom, and put a few slug pellets on a little bit of plastic under the foliage on the top of the bucket, and dispose of the bodies as and when.
Works well for me.

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