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MOTORING groups in Bolton are calling for the council to do more to patch up potholes.

The North-west has been ranked fifth nationally for the average number of potholes with 16 per mile.

London had the highest number, at 64 per mile, with the east of England coming in as lowest with just six, according to the statistics, which have been released by the UK's Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance Survey.

Roy Sammons, the Chairman of Bolton Advanced Motorists, said: "The council just patch up the worst of the holes. Local and national government should maintain the infrastructure that's been put into place and need to carry out long term repairs. Potholes damage cars and are even more dangerous for cyclists.

"The council should ensure that utility companies re-maintain roads when they have worked on them."

Council bosses insist cash is being pumped in to improving the borough's roads, with £100,000 earmarked for urgent road repairs, of which 40 per cent would be spent on repairing potholes, in the next financial year A Bolton council spokesman said: "We record incidents of potholes along with other defects in the road and footpaths and not in isolation. In recent years the number of defects reported to us have steadily decreased. However last year was a particularly bad year due to the wet weather, which makes potholes worse."

The report, which were compiled by the Asphalt Industry Alliance, divided the UK into 10 regions and claimed £53 million was paid out in compensation claims for damages to vehicles or road accidents because of road structural conditions.

7:37pm Friday 4th April 2008

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