'Potholes are leaving Essex roads in a shocking state'

Earl Robinson, of the Essex Voluntary Blood Service (EVBS), said potholes had cost him hundreds of pounds in new tyres

The problem of potholes in Essex has been highlighted by a group which helps to transport blood between blood banks and hospitals.

Earl Robinson, of the Essex Voluntary Blood Service (EVBS), said he had spent hundreds of pounds on replacement tyres for his motorcycle.

"The roads are in a word, shocking," he said.

Essex County Council said it was investing in the repair of potholes and anything dangerous would be fixed.

Sir Rod Stewart said his Ferrari could not get through the potholes

The issue of potholes in the county hit the national headlines last year when singer Sir Rod Stewart was filmed fixing holes near his home in Harlow - complaining the road was too damaged to drive his Ferrari on.

Nationally, councils have said the money for repairs from the government has not been keeping up with spiralling costs.

In Essex, teams are only getting to 27% of potholes and a council report suggested last autumn that a shortage of funds had left road maintenance in a state of "managed decline".

Last year a report said £77.7m a year was needed across Essex for regular maintenance, but they were only able to spend £36.7m.

Mr Robinson said potholes were a constant problem on Essex's roads

This year the council is investing £74m in services, but its highways budget remains unchanged.

Mr Robinson, of the EVBS - also known as the Essex Blood Runners - told BBC Politics East: "The roads are in a word, shocking, at the moment.

"There's a lot of potholes, a lot of debris. It makes our work a little bit more challenging.

"I have personally got through three tyres in the last five months - two of which were a direct result of hitting a pothole at night when you can't really see them.

"If it's been raining, you don't know if it's a pothole or just a puddle."

He said the replacement tyres had cost him £600.

Potholes made roads dangerous for cyclists, said Yasmin Gregory of Old Harlow

Yasmin Gregory, of Harlow Cycling Club, said: "It's really, really dangerous.

"The fact of the matter is you could be cycling and you don't have to be going at any great speed and you've got two tonne of metal behind you - they are looking to avoid the potholes.

"You're also looking to avoid the potholes and you still get caught in them because they are just so bad."

Lee Scott, Conservative cabinet member for highways at Essex County Council, said: "It's not a question of managed decline. Anything that is dangerous will be fixed.

"Some of the things which are cosmetic won't necessarily be done, but that is not managed decline that would endanger any resident whatsoever."

When asked if Essex had enough money to maintain the roads, Mr Lee answered: "I would always wish there was more money, but even if it was double the amount of money there would still be things that were not able to be done.

"We have to look at how things look in the whole budget."

You can see more on this story on Politics East on BBC One on Sunday, 15 January at 10:00 GMT, with it also available on BBC iPlayer afterwards.