POTHOLES cause 'over £1 billion in damage every year'

POTHOLES are costing British drivers £1.2 billion every year due to damage to suspension, steering and wheels.

This is a 16% rise in the cost of damage to cars on the UK’s roads and the weather has played a major part in the rise in the number of potholes.

Councils say they don’t have the money to deal with the problem due to budget cuts and there has also been an 18% increase in the number of dangerous potholes reported during the past 12 months according to the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA).

The AIA believes there are 2 million serious potholes on UK roads at present that leaves drivers with an average repair bill of £140 if they come into contact with the broken road surface in their car.

Roads on the south coast of England, in Kent and the East Midlands seem to be the worst affected.

The government is spending around £1 billion per year on rectifying potholes, but experts at the AIA reckon it could take more than 10 years to deal with the backlog of essential repairs required.

By Press Association reporters