POTHOLES are the biggest concern among drivers in Britain, the RAC suggests.

Britain's roads were the main concern for almost six out of 10 people in research by the RAC. It topped the list of motoring complaints for the first time - ahead of insurance costs and fuel prices.

RAC research suggested that pothole damage cost drivers on average £460 - with punctures, wheel damage and broken suspension springs the most commonly reported in the past 12 months.

Some drivers get so frustrated with the motoring menace that they devise creative ways to capture the size of the problem. Alan from Macclesfield climbed inside the crater and sent the pictures to his local council.

“They did finally fill” it, he said.

The Department for Transport said it was helping councils to fix "up to one million more potholes a year".

Potholes can prove dangerous and costly, the RAC's research warned.

Elizabeth Atter told the BBC that her 89-year-old mother had been knocked out after falling in a pothole in Caversham, near Reading.

Ms Atter said her mother also “broke her nose and glasses and was badly shaken up” when she fell five years ago.

Another reader, Richard Underhill from Milford-on-Sea in Hampshire, said his Porsche needed two tyres replaced after he hit a pothole.

“A car in front of me at the tyre depot had hit the same pothole,” he said.

However, claiming compensation can prove time-consuming and costly.

Louise Thomas, an insurance expert at price comparison website Confused.com, told the BBC the majority of drivers end up paying for repairs out of their pocket because it is quicker and more convenient, adding that claiming insurance could see future premiums rise.

"What they should do is go to the council. Councils are responsible for maintaining roads, therefore they’re also responsible for paying out any claims for damage to your vehicle," she said.

According to the RAC, almost three-quarters of drivers said the condition of local roads they use regularly is poorer than a year ago.

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The motoring group said its research suggested the problem of potholes was worse in rural areas.

It said its data showed there were more than 25,000 pothole-related breakdowns in the 12 months to the end of June.

"Unfortunately our roads are deteriorating, there's no question about that. This is really unacceptable, given the amount of money that drivers pay in motoring taxation, we estimate that to be around £45bn," said Simon Williams from the RAC.