Staffordshire's 'worst' road revealed as pothole complaints made every three days

Staffordshire's 'worst' road has been revealed with angry drivers reporting a pothole complaint less than every three days on average.

The most pothole reports lodged over a five-year period related to Newcastle Road in Stone, with 697 made in total. That works out just shy of 140 a year or a complaint every 2.6 days.

It comes as around 45,000 potholes were reported to councils in the West Midlands last year. The data was obtained by Confused.com car insurance, whose research also found that almost half of UK drivers want the Government to put more funding towards pothole repairs.

And 53 per cent think that it should be a legal requirement for councils to repair a pothole after it’s been reported. Staffordshire County Council says 631 of the reported complaints on Newcastle Road were 'fixed'.

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Cabinet member for strategic highways Mark Deaville said: "This report has data over a period of five years, not one. Of the 697 reports over the past five years, 631 of these have been cleared meaning the issue has been fixed.

"We have one of the largest road networks in the country (6,000 kilometres) and keeping our highways in a good state of repair remains an ongoing and costly challenge. Last year, we completed around 16,000 pothole jobs around the county, which often consist of two or three potholes.

"As well as the £53 million allocated for major projects, improvement and maintenance in 2024/25, we have announced an additional £50 million over the next three years to really make a difference to communities across Staffordshire."

Motor expert Louise Thomas, of Confused.com, added: "Although the harsh winter months are almost behind us, potholes are still proving problematic for drivers. That’s as pothole reports in the region reached more than 45,000 last year. And across the UK, data shows how reports totalled almost 1 million - a 24% increase compared to 2020.

"There’s no denying that the UK has a pothole problem, and the government has dedicated more funding as a result. But for some drivers this isn’t enough. Especially if they live in high risk areas, where wet and colder weather means problems are more likely to arise.

"If you see a pothole while driving, it’s important to report it to the local council straight away. Even if it didn’t damage your car, you could help to protect other drivers who might come into contact with it at a later date. Potholes can cause damage to vehicles, so the sooner it’s fixed, the safer road users will be."

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