Councils pay out (thousands) for pothole damage

Councils in Kent have spent 126,838.01 compensating motorists for damage caused by potholes since 2012, figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have revealed.

Nationally a total of £12 million have been paid out over the last four years, with an average payment per person of £650.

The figures were uncovered by Freedom of Information requests to 500 councils by the Liberal Democrats.

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson Paul Chaplin said:

"This is a lose-lose situation for everyone, whether they are motorists, councils or taxpayers.

"People already have to fork out so much to drive a car, the least they should expect is that their vehicle doesn't get ruined by a bumpy road.

"Thousands of pounds are now being spent on pay-outs that could have been invested instead in fixing our roads.

"This is a symptom of the short-termist approach being taken to infrastructure investment.

"Roads should be fixed quickly so this compensation does not have to be paid out in the first place."