Council chiefs repair 2,500 potholes in just one year

The figures were issued after research by car repair company Kwik Fit found that in the last 12 months, British motorists have had to fund repair bills totalling £684million – almost £25million in the North East – as a result of damage caused by hitting holes in the roads.

According to South Tyneside Council, the “majority” of reported problems over the past year in its area have been repaired, at a cost of £69,000.

During the same period – from April 2015 – the council received 65 claims in relation to potholes, and paid out one at a cost of £200.

A South Tyneside Council spokesman said: “We have seen more potholes arise as a result of severe winter weather over recent years and our teams do their best to respond to each one.

“When we do receive a claim, we carry out a full investigation to ensure the council only settles in cases where liability has been established. We recognise that good road surfaces are essential to highways safety and are committed to maintaining safe standards across the borough.

“Recent figures show that we have lower levels of defective road surfaces than some of our neighbours. However, we are not complacent, and will continue to improve the network further. One of the ways we are working to do this is by resurfacing defective roads with a more robust, flexible material.

“We also encourage people to report potholes as well as carry out regular condition surveys of all our roads and footways.

“Any road which is identified as an immediate hazard is noted and repair is arranged within 24 hours.”

A total of 2,564 potholes were reported to the council over the last year.

Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit, said: “One pothole can cause misery for countless motorists, so it’s vital that local authorities make it as easy as possible for people to report the presence of a pothole.

“But we would also encourage drivers to do their bit by reporting the ones they see and not relying on others to do it.”