A new report had named Wiltshire Council as the highest spending council when it comes to potholes.

MoneySuperMarket has obtained data from across the UK by using Freedom of Information Requests.

The group found that Wilthshire has spent an eye-watering £69 million since 2017.

This is nearly £18 million more than Warwickshire which spent £51 million.

Cheshire West and Chester (£39 million), Kent (£34 million) and Cheshire East (£24 million) were the next highest spenders.

However, Cllr Bridget Wayman, Cabinet member for Highways of Wiltshire Council, has responded that the £69 million figure includes wider road resurfacing work.

She said: “The report is incorrect as most of the £69m figure includes the cost of our road resurfacing programme, which is generally the most cost-effective means of reducing potholes and preventing them forming.

“We are spending more on reactive road maintenance than ever before, and over recent years we have seen the historic backlog being greatly reduced. But our focus remains on increasing planned maintenance that stops potholes appearing in the first place.

“Where there are local road issues we’d encourage people to report them using MyWilts and we will address these as quickly as possible.”

A total of 43,280 potholes have been reported to Wiltshire Council since January 2017, the research by MoneySuperMarket also found.

Deepa Patel, car insurance spokesperson at MoneySuperMarket, commented: “As most drivers will know, potholes are a real nuisance. It’s not only that they can be dangerous from a safe driving perspective, but they can also cause damage to your car. Burst tyres, problems with suspension and even damage to your vehicle’s body work – potholes can really make their presence felt. 

“The cost of repairs for this kind of damage can be high, so it’s important you have the correct level of insurance cover – particularly if you live in an area where potholes are common."

Have you experienced pothole damage in Wiltshire? Do you live on a particuarly pothole-y street? Let us know at newsdesk@gazetteandherald.co.uk or times@newswilts.co.uk