Hole lot of insight on Shropshire Council approach to potholes - watch the video

The council says it estimates that there were about 18,000 potholes identified in the council area by inspectors with approximately 2,000 potholes reported to the council by members of the public.

In a new blog post and video it aims to set out how it goes about dealing with problem pot holes.

The holes in the road cause problems for drivers and can sometimes damage vehicles that drive over them. It is estimated that the cost of treating potholes in Shropshire Council's area is £1.5 million

The authority is receiving £1,036,000 in 2016/17 and £1,335,000 in 2017/18 as part of the government's Pothole Action Fund.

This money will help fill around 20,000 potholes each year.

The council says in order to best deal with pot holes, it needs residents to report those that they spot while out in the county.

Gareth Proffitt, a spokesman for Shropshire Council said: "We inspect all reported potholes and risk assess them to prioritise their repair. They'll either be classed as urgent or will be put into a planned programme of works to ensure they are repaired as efficiently as possible.

"Over the last four or five years we've also introduced new methods of recording defects and use mobile technology for logging potholes. The severity of the pothole and, therefore, the urgency of treating it, is determined by the risk it poses to road users. This is difficult to judge since all potholes present some risk. However the factors to be taken into account include location, size and depth of pothole; traffic type, speed and volume; road type, alignment and visibility and also the position in relation to road width.

"Of course, potholes and other defects may occur between these inspections -- particularly following freezing conditions when water in the road freezes and expands, cracking the road surface. This is why we rely on people reporting them to us."

To report a pothole, visit the council's website or call 0345 678 9000.