AROUND 200 potholes are being repaired every day across Worcestershire after the harsh winter battered county roads.

Snow, ice and rain has wrecked large swathes of the highways network, leaving a spate of ghastly holes and cracks for drivers to negotiate.

New figures show the county council has repaired 4,294 potholes since the turn of the year, with workers dealing with 200 daily.

Bosses say the cold weather since last November led to “an inevitable increase” in defects, particularly in rural areas where freezing temperatures have been fairly common.

Despite the dispute with Mr Jones, they are appealing for more residents to report potholes as and when they are found.

The authority says more and more people are using an app and the council’s website to pass on details of defects.

Councillor John Smith, the cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “The weather conditions this winter have certainly brought some challenges and pothole numbers are higher than the last couple of years.

“Unfortunately, this is inevitable but it's really good to see how many people are taking the time to let us know when they spot a problem.

“I'd like to thank everyone that's been in touch and encourage residents to continue to let us know of any issues.

“The crews are working really hard to fix things as quickly as they can - the sooner they are reported, the sooner they can be fixed.”

The vast majority of the repair work is permanent, as opposed to controversial surface dressing, which is only temporary.

As your Worcester News first revealed in December, the Government has awarded County Hall £3.2 million over the next two years for repairs.

Bosses have also earmarked an extra £500,000 towards roads maintenance from the in-house budget for 2013/14, after consultations revealed the public believe it should be the second biggest priority behind social care.

People can log on to www.worcestershire.gov.uk/reportit or ring 0845 607 2005 to report a pothole.

Residents can also download a free app for iPhone and Android Devices, which can be found via the app store or on Google Play.

 

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