By Denna Bowman
Lancashire County Council have paid out almost £1m to motorists whose cars have been damaged on the regions potholed roads during the past three years.
It handed over £963,000 to drivers who have damaged tyres, suspension or bodywork between 2007 and 2010.
However, the council claims that the amount paid out in legal claims is decreasing, while cash spent on road repairs is increasing.
Potholes become worse when ice enters existing cracks and expands, breaking up the road surface.
Philip Gomm, a spokesman for the RAC Foundation, said: “In past years, some councils have spent more money meeting compensation claims than fixing potholes.
“This is a ludicrous situation.
“Damaged road surfaces quickly deteriorate further if left untreated, especially in weather like this.”
Most of the claims against Lancashire County Council were for wheel, tyre or alloy damage. Among the largest compensation pay-outs in Lancashire was £2,187 for tyre damage which occurred on Southport Road near Chorley last year.