A FORMER mayor who has had 10,000 potholes filled in has revealed his foolproof method to force local councils to fix the roads.
Over a million road craters were reported last year, leading to a massive bill for the taxpayer.
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Latest figures show that councils spent a whopping £56 million repairing potholes in 2023 as the state of the UK’s roads declined to the worst on record.
Just last month, a pair of monster potholes on two of the nation’s busiest roads took out more than 60 motors.
The new government has promised to harness new technology to fix a million every year in a bid to ease the burden on drivers.
Futuristic devices like the Pothole Pro from JCB, the flame-throwing “Dragon patcher truck” and the ARRES PREVENT – a world-first AI pothole robot – have all been seen out and about this year.
But Mark Morell, known to his fans as Mr Pothole, has told Brits what they themselves can do to fight the plague of crumbling roads.
Mark, the former mayor of Brackley, Northamptonshire, claims to be the UK’s most successful pothole fighter, getting more than 10,000 filled in through his relentless campaigning.
In all that time, he’s picked up a few tricks to force local officials to get a grip on potholes in your area.
He told MailOnline: “Start by recording the details of a pothole.
“And get to grips with the local council’s policy for repairs.
“You often have to be a detective and put in a Freedom of Information request to smoke out this information if they will not tell you or it cannot be found on a council website.
“Of course, it is not just about road safety – but the cost to the motorist.
“So, when you go to the garage for a repair make sure the mechanic puts down in writing that the damage was caused by the pothole.
“You hand this dated itemised bill to the council.”
As a rule of thumb, councils will be required to fix a pothole if it’s more than 4cm deep, but some have different requirements for depth and width.
The authority’s policy will state how often they patrol particular roads and set deadlines for repairs after a report is made.
CAR-DESTROYING potholes are the biggest bugbear among British motorists.
By Martina Bet
The sorry state of our roads was the main concern for almost six in 10 people, according to research by the RAC.
So it is really no surprise that filling an extra one million potholes a year was one of the few new policy announcements in Labour’s election manifesto.
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh reaffirmed that promise during a visit to Blackpool yesterday.
The cabinet minister wanted to see firsthand how the Council is using high-definition cameras and artificial intelligence to spot road damage early.
She promised to replicate their success across England, backing local authorities with millions in extra funding.
But can Labour really afford to keep its word?
In June, the PM insisted his massive pothole blitz was “fully costed” and backed by “enough money” – with £320million coming from deferring the controversial Arundel A27 bypass.
He also pledged the amount would be on top of the £8.3bn the Tory government had promised for road repairs after scrapping HS2.
But Rachel Reeves’ penny-pinching push this summer saw the major transport project in West Sussex scrapped in a bid to shore up the public finances.
And Government sources told The Sun the £8.3bn 11-year roads investment plan was being “assessed in the round”.
Extra cash for potholes and road repairs will be announced in the next Spending Review.
It will determine whether Labour can deliver on its promises or if the funding shortfalls and political compromises will leave motorists dodging the same hazardous holes for years to come.
If you are able to prove that they did not act quickly enough or did not make adequate checks to prevent the damage, then you can force a repair under the 1980 Highways Act and bill the council for any damage caused to your vehicle.
Make sure to take multiple photos, including close-ups, of the pothole and any damage to your motor.
Also, keep receipts for repair costs and read the council’s policy in detail to see where you can claim.
Mark added: “A lack of funding is a common excuse used by councils – but there is also a clear lack of common sense.
“Many holes could be filled when reported.”
