UK driver wins 'biggest ever' £1.1 million payout after hitting pothole
Potholes are an ever-present menace on UK roads, constantly threatening harm to your tyres as you go about the morning commute.
And while local councils may promise to patch things up, they often go untouched - leaving many residents furious at the state of our roads, and some going so far as to fill in the potholes themselves.
Yet one man left injured by a pothole in the road wasn't going to take it lying down, and has now been awarded a whopping £1.1 million in compensation.
The unnamed man has been awarded the exact sum of £1,188,565.25 over a prolonged four-year legal battle for a 'pothole-caused personal injury'.
Advert
The payout, which was made by the Labour-run Welsh government, is believed to be one of the biggest ever in Britain.
But it is not just this bloke who has been greatly impacted by potholes, as campaigners warn of the dire state of our roads.
A Freedom of Information Act request has shown that dozens of people have put in claims for damaged vehicles or personal injuries over the last five years.
It adds the Welsh government have settled 11 claims for pothole-related vehicle damage over the past five years and a further two claims to personal injuries.
Mark Morrell, the UK's leading pothole campaigner, is urging those who have a lot of potholes in their area to report it.
The man who has been dubbed Mr Pothole claims poorly maintained roads are costing the country up to £10 billion a year.
"I am sick to death of hearing from government and authorities saying repairing potholes is a priority then do very little to tackle the issue of our failing roads network," he said.
"Filling in potholes is a waste of taxpayers’ money. Until there is a properly funded roads resurfacing programme put in place things will get worse."
The RAC has even issued a warning saying that the recent winter's conditions has created 'the perfect recipe for potholes to start peppering the roads'.
While many have been left furious at potholes in their neighbourhood, some have made some light fun at it.
Dan Munford of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, Mid Wales, has setup a miniature road block, which includes toy traffic lights, a 'road closed' sign and a crane on the potholes to hopefully make the council take action.
"Unfortunately, the main road through our part of the village has never been in a worse condition than it is today," he said.
"This present, frankly dangerous situation appears to be long term in nature and has lasted a number of years. Any repairs which are carried out are done badly and last a matter of days.
"So like many other residents we felt that something had to be done to bring it to the urgent attention of the council.”
In response, a Powys County Council spokesperson said: "A road inspection was carried out in April. Following this there were some minor maintenance defects identified and programmed for repair when resource allows.
"Any further larger resurfacing repairs identified will be put forward for future funding from appropriate budgets."
Callum Jones