Hertfordshire drivers have put in some of the most compensation claims in England due to pothole damages.

Research obtained from car leasing company LeaseCar.uk has revealed that Hertfordshire County Council is the third council in England that has received the most compensation claims between January 2018 to October 2019.

The council received 2,190 claims during this period, with only Hampshire County Council and Surrey County Council having more claims than Hertfordshire.

Due to damaged roads being a nuisance for drivers, Hertfordshire County Council paid around £158,777 worth of compensation, making it the sixth council in England that has returned the highest amount of compensation claims.

Watford Observer:

Hertfordshire County Council receives some of the most compensation claims. (Photo: LeaseCar)

In total there have been 37,678 claims across England due to the poorly maintained roads, with around £3,520,538.38 compensated.

The only councils which did not use taxpayers’ money to compensate motorists were with the boroughs of Islington and Sutton.

Recently Liverpool Road, Watford was issued an emergency closure due to a large pothole, and Labour councillors found 50 potholes in a South Oxhey pothole patrol.

A Hertfordshire County Council Spokesperson said: “We are always working hard to make sure that the 3,000 miles of roads in the county are running smoothly.

"It is now the time of year when pothole problems are at their peak, but our Highways team has been working hard all year to repair and resurface roads to seal the surfaces and help stop potholes forming.

"So far since April 2019 we have put a new surface on over 700 roads around the county and carried out smaller repairs on many more.”

Today is National Pothole Day (January 15), which is an opportunity to talk about the issues caused by potholes.

A spokesperson for LeaseCar.uk said: “Potholes aren’t just ugly and inconvenient – they regularly cause damage to vehicles and can be dangerous.

“We understand that many local authorities are strapped for cash and have to tighten their belts, but as motoring specialists, we believe road maintenance should be a higher priority that it currently is.

“It could also ultimately reduce council’s costs by bringing down the number of successful compensation claims by long suffering vehicle owners.”

To find out more about pothole claims around England, visit here.