Potholes cause £6k damage to police vehicles

REPAIRS to police vehicles damaged in pothole-related accidents have cost the public purse nearly £6,000 since 2015, records show.

South Wales Police said 28 vehicles had sustained damage from poor road surfaces in the past three years.

The force, which has a total stock of 761 vehicles, said the total cost of repairs for such incidents had cost £5,900.

In one incident in 2017, an officer driving an Audi A4 was engaged in an authorised pursuit when it drove over a cattle grid.

The front near-side wheel then entered a large pothole, causing a flat tyre. The damage resulted in a £2,531.27 repair bill.

Another officer driving a Hyundai I30 collided with a dislodged manhole cover in 2015, causing £1,115.86 worth of damage.

According to a freedom of information request, in 2015 there were seven individual incidents resulting in damage, 15 in 2016, five in 2017 and one in the first half of 2018. It is not known if the incidents resulted in any injuries.

An AA spokesman said: “This falls in line with the problem of local authorities making cuts in their transport budgets by not repairing potholes and poor road surfaces.

“In effect they are passing that on to taxpayers and other public bodies.

“Councils may be cutting their bills but it’s police forces and the NHS who are picking up the tab for accidents that are killing and endangering people.”

A South Wales Police spokesman said: “South Wales Police has contingency plans in place to ensure that any wear and tear can be fixed quickly and efficiently, and not affect the force’s operational capabilities.

“This includes a repair fund which pays for any repairs to all police vehicles, although the cost of repairs following damage caused by potholes constitutes a very small proportion of the force’s overall budget.”