Warning for councils who don't reveal pothole data

Should a council not publish their figures, they will lose 25% of their funding from the government

Local authorities in the South East will have to publish annual reports on pothole repairs, or risk seeing their funding reduced.

The new policy is being introduced prior to councils receiving £79m funding from the Department for Transport (DfT).

The government has warned that if a council fails to publish its figures, it will lose 25% of the funding.

Figures from the RAC reveal drivers encounter an average of six potholes per mile in England and Wales, and pothole damage to cars costs an average £600 to fix.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: "The public deserves to know how their councils are improving their local roads, which is why they will have to show progress or risk losing funding."

The government has announced funding of £1.6bn nationally for road repairs, and an extra £4.8bn for National Highways to deliver critical road schemes and maintain motorways and major A-roads.