Should we axe roads with worst potholes?

Some country roads have so many potholes they may have to be permanently closed, insurers have warned.

Motorists face a higher risk of accidents because of poor maintenance by councils, they say.

Insurer NFU Mutual said some local authorities have suggested they don’t have enough money to maintain the entire network of rural routes.

‘we fear this could lead to closures and huge disruption for local communities,’ said a spokesman.

NFU Mutual agent Jeremy atkins said rural roads were the ‘arteries of the countryside’.

he said cyclists and horse riders were also at risk and ‘may need to take sudden action when encountering a pothole or may ride into deep potholes which are filled with rainwater’. There are also fears that emergency services will find access more difficult.

NFU Mutual figures suggest a 48 per cent increase in pothole claims between 2015 and 2017, with the total value of claims almost doubling in that period.

The Government is giving a further £100million to councils to help repair two million potholes across the country.