Pothole toll for region is now 4,000

More than 4,000 potholes have been reported in the Black Country and Staffordshire in the last five months, it was revealed today.

Many local authorities are now working on projects to protect their busiest roads in time for winter. Waterproofing treatment is to be carried out on scores of roads in the region.

The treatment helps to prevent the formation of potholes.

In Walsall, which has received 249 calls relating to potholes, the improvements are being made possible thanks to a £522,000 grant from the Government and £150,000 from the council.

In Wolverhampton, there were 1,908 pothole repairs between April and June.

City council spokesman Gurdip Thandi said they had used repair processes to provide long-term protection.

Since April, Dudley has received 410 reports of potholes. Transport chief Councillor Patrick Harley said they had repaired 16,500 sq metres of roads with potholes. He said it was part of a major investment to ensure the borough's road network was up to standard ahead of the winter.

Staffordshire County Council received 1,615 pothole reports between April 1 and August 23.

Highways chief County Councillor Mike Maryon said: "The freezing winter, our worst for more than 100 years and the third bad winter in a row, has ravaged roads and led to the creation of an unprecedented number of potholes."