A council has paid £42,874 in compensation to drivers over the past four years for damage caused by potholes.

In the 2023/2024 financial year, North Lincolnshire Council (NLC) paid drivers 57 times over for damage caused by potholes on authority-maintained roads.

Since 2020/2021, NLC had a total of 410 pothole-related claims and 135 of these resulted in a payout.

NLC said it invests £13m each year to maintain and improve the region’s roads.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting ServiceNLC is responsible for the maintenance of most roads in its area, with the exception of motorways, some national roads and private roads.

A council spokesperson said: “1.14 billion vehicle miles were traveled on North Lincolnshire roads in 2023 alone, which inevitably takes its toll on road surfaces.

“To combat this wear and tear and make travel safer and smoother for everyone, we invest more than £13 million each year to maintain and improve the road network.

“In addition to addressing potholes, this also includes significant resurfacing programs, of which many residents are already seeing the benefits.”