Councils in Shropshire face massive bills from motorists hit by potholes opening up across the county as the big freeze thaws, it was claimed today.

The AA, which issued the warning, said emergency funding was needed to stop crumbling roads running up bills in compensation and for accidents. In Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, councils said they were ready to deal with concerns about potholes.

Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “The pothole season has come early this year.

“Drivers will be relieved when the snow has gone but shouldn’t be complacent.

“Due to the severe winter, it could be a record year for potholes, a million scars of the worst winter in 30 years.

“We are already getting a lot of calls from our members and patrols about potholes.

“Hitting a pothole can damage the tyre, wheel, suspension or steering or even cause an accident. They can be dangerous for drivers but, unfortunately, potentially lethal for those on two wheels.”

The pothole menace is likely to be resurgent in the coming weeks as, water seeps into cracks in the road and that expands when it freezes, widening the gaps.

Those gaps are then worn into potholes by traffic.

Mr King said: “We are concerned that, with local authorities already stret-ched due to the drain of the winter, there will not be enough in the purse to heal our ravaged roads.”

The AA believes repairing potholed roads will cost local highway authorities hundreds of millions of pounds.

Telford & Wrekin Council spokesman Russell Griffin said: “The main thing callers need to do is to give as much information as possible regarding the location of the pothole.”

Shropshire Council spokesman Gareth Proffitt said: “We carry out regular inspections on Shropshire’s roads to ensure they are in a safe condition for the travelling public.”

The AA is appealing to road users to report potholes on www.theaa.com

By Simon Hardy