MORE than £1million has been forked out in compensation over vehicles damaged by potholes in the last five years.

Essex County Council paid out a staggering £1,234,180 since 2012, according to research conducted by the Liberal Democrats.

It is the second highest figure in the country, with only Surrey paying out more in claims, totalling£1,245,000.

The party, which obtained the statistics under the Freedom of Information Act, is now calling on the council to spend more cash on filling potholes to save on compensation.

Figures released also revealed some £12million was paid nationally, with an average payment of £650.

Robert Hathaway, 34, a motorist from Springfield Road says the findings aren’t surprising, and believes some roads are left neglected.

He said: “To keep on top of all of the roads around the county must be hard work for the council.

“The roads around the city centre are usually in a good way, but when you get towards the outskirts of the city the roads can become more shabby, as if they’re just forgotten.

“I can only see the problem getting worse, with Government grants drying up and increased traffic in Chelmsford.”

Stephen Robinson, a Lib Dem Chelmsford City councillor for Patching Hall ward, described it as a “lose-lose situation” for motorists, councils and taxpayers.

He said: “Thousands of pounds are now being spent on pay-outs that could have been invested instead in fixing our roads.

“This is a symptom of the short-termism taken to infrastructure investment by our Conservative-run Council and Government.

“Roads should be fixed quickly so this compensation does not have to be paid out in the first place.”

Previous surveys have shown Essex as having one of the worst records for potholes in the country, with it making among the highest number of compensatory payments.

In October last year, County Hall revealed the number of potholes on main routes in the county dropped by 47 per cent between June and September.

A total of 2,627 defects were repaired in the period, compared to 1,638 over the previous quarter.

Eddie Johnson, Essex County Councillor for Highways and Transport, called for the figures to be “seen in context”.

He said: “We are one of the largest authorities in the country with one of the largest road networks stretching over more than 5,000 miles.

“All compensation claims received by the council are investigated fully and damages paid if the council has been liable.

“The financial figure provided is not only for compensation, but includes other payments such as third party solicitors’ costs and court fees.

“We have shifted our focus to local roads which have seen pothole numbers drop by a fifth over the last six months.”

Mr Johnson added that a summer road surfacing programme saw more than three million square metres of surface dressing completed, totalling a £66million of investment in Essex’s roads.

Essex County Council has a website where residents can report potholes and damage caused to vehicles.