Double the number of potholes have appeared on Wiltshire’s roads as a result of the exceptional snow and icy conditions which crippled the county in February.

The weather led to a doubling in the number of pot holes appearing on the county’s roads.

Wiltshire Council highways boss Graeme Hay said so far this year the council had filled in 3,800 pot holes. During a normal year the council would deal with 3,500 and 4,000 pot holes.

The peak period for pot holes appearing is February to June and Mr Hay said he expected there would be another 1,200 to 1,500 pot holes occurring this year.

The county’s increase in pot holes is in line with the national average which, according to the Asphalt Industry Alliance, has gone up by 32 per cent over the last year.

Mr Hay said the snow and icy conditions in February were unprecedented during his 22 years experience.

“I don’t have any recollection of such a high number of pot holes occurring but the weather was the worst we had had for 18 years,” he said.

Once the snow and ice cleared away more than 50 highways staff in Wiltshire worked flat out over a ten day period to fill in 1,800 pot holes that had appeared as a result of frozen water expanding the surface of the road.

Mr Hay said as well as responding to calls from the public about pot holes his staff actively examined all the roads in the county to find pot holes and filled them in on A, B and minor roads.

The council has been using a new material since March last year, called Viaphalt, which enables a pot hole to be filled in once rather than twice under the previous method.

Mr Hay said: “Viaphalt is a cold tarmac that reacts to water and sets. We have no evidence of a pot hole failure where Viaphalt has been used. It can be used by a single worker or two workers rather than sending out a road mender lorry which increases the efficiency of our staff.”

Mr Hay encouraged people to report pot holes to Clarence, the council’s highways hotline, on 0800 232323.