Britain's roads have one pothole for every mile, according to council data obtained by a vehicle rescue organisation.

Councils received 32,600 compensation claims associated with potholes in the last financial year, which represents an increase of 79% from the previous year.

Local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland paid out a total of £2.5M in compensation for potholes and other road damage in the past year. Complaints ranged from potholes ruining wheel rims to puncturing tyres and damaging suspension.

Lincolnshire County Council, one of the largest local authorities, reported pay outs amounting to more than £358,000 in 2012-13 alone. The largest number of claims (2249) was in Surrey.

Among the worst roads for potholes in the UK were said to be King Lane in Leeds, the B6273 Moor Lane in Barnsley and Holly Lane in Banstead, Surrey.

The average cost of repairing a pothole is said to be around £50, meaning the amount paid out by councils in compensation could have been used to repair more than 50,000 potholes.

“Britain's pothole epidemic has resulted from years of underinvestment in our roads and has been exacerbated by recent harsh winters,” said Peter Horton of Britannia Rescue, which commissioned the study. “Local authorities face difficult choices in the roads they prioritise for repair and we now have around 200,000 potholes on UK roads.”

Photo: Editor5807

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