North Lincolnshire's new pothole filler fixes 53,000 sq ft of road

The pothole filling machine was introduced at the end of August

A new machine to fix potholes has repaired more than 53,000 sq ft (5,000 sq m) of road in its first seven weeks.

The machine is to be named Phil and has been fixing holes on the roads of North Lincolnshire.

It is greener, safer, quicker and more affordable, the council said.

Councillor Neil Poole said "The challenge is we have always got to do more with less. Best value is what we're looking for all the time."

The pothole filler was introduced at the end of August and can cover up to 2,580 sq ft (240 sq m) on each trip it makes, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Repairs are estimated to last three to seven years and the machine is calculated to have half the carbon output of previous pothole fillers used by North Lincolnshire Council.

The pothole filler currently being used has been leased by the council but the authority is set to purchase its own machine at a cost of £330,000.

The pothole filling machine was introduced at the end of August

The name for the new pothole-filling vehicle was to be selected from a shortlist of seven, which were suggested by members of the public, but the council opted to simply name the vehicle Phil.

The shortlist included Holey Moley, Harry Pothole, Phil McCavity, Phil McCrackin, Hole in One, Pothole Pete and Potty McPotface, the authority said.