BRADFORD Council has paid out more than £25,000 in compensation to drivers for pothole damage in the first 10 months of the year, figures show.

A Freedom of Information request revealed the authority handed a total of £26,567.81 to motorists between January and the end of October.

The compensation figure totalled £12,383.17 last year and £17,161.22 in 2021.

The statistics also showed 11,284 potholes have been recorded by Bradford Council in the first 10 months of 2023 - up from 9,169 in 2022 and 7,635 in 2021

The Telegraph & Argus asked Bradford Council for a comment about the figures - but did not receive a response.

A spokesperson for Tyre Bay Bradford said staff there have been dealing more pothole-related issues.

These are mainly related to tyre problems and cracked rims, they said. 

Halfords, which has branches across Bradford, urged the Government to increase funding to tackle potholes.

Graham Stapleton, chief executive of Halfords, said: "It's not just about cost, it's about safety, with nearly a quarter of motorists saying a pothole in the road has led to an accident or a near miss. 

"Few things are more frightening than being presented with a huge pothole when travelling on a motorway at full speed - forcing drivers to make a split-second decision as to whether they can avoid it, or simply have to plough through it and hope for the best." 

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak outlined how £8.3billion of promised funding would be used to combat what he called the "scourge of potholes".

Mr Sunak announced the cash last month following the scrapping of part of the HS2 high-speed rail line.

The funding will go to England's local councils over the next 11 years for road maintenance.

In Yorkshire and the Humber, the Government said local authorities would receive £3.3bn.

Mr Sunak said: "For too long politicians have shied away from taking the right long-term decisions to make life easier for hardworking families - tackling the scourge of potholes being a prime example.

"This unprecedented £8.3bn investment will pave the road for better and safer journeys for millions of people across the country and put an end to the blight of nuisance potholes."

However, the Local Government Association (LGA) - which represents councils in England and Wales - said the cost of repairing local roads was closer to £14bn.