Councils “negligent” over potholes

Councils are being negligent by taking weeks to repair potholes up to six inches deep, according to a personal injury solicitor.

MCN today names and shames the councils who have quietly changed their definition of a hazard so they can leave deeper potholes untreated for longer.

They include Essex, where the depth of a pothole deemed to need urgent repair within hours has crept from 25mm to 75mm (3ins) in two years.

In Surrey the threshold depth for a pothole to be filled urgently is an incredible four to six inches, otherwise it can be left for 28 days.

Motorcycle claims specialist Robert Beer said: “There’s no law in place but I think an authority will be struggling to convince a court that anything over 50mm isn’t actionable and negligent.”

For more on this, including the other councils to redefine a hazardous pothole, get MCN, on sale today.