Stockton man told to find 'exact' pothole that damaged car

Trevor Kay said he could not identify the exact pothole that caused the damage

A driver has criticised a council after he was told he must find the exact pothole that caused damage to his car.

Trevor Kay said he needed to replace two tyres at a cost of £90 after driving on several defects along Boathouse Lane in Stockton.

The 66-year-old, from Dixon Street, Stockton, said the council's response was "absolutely ridiculous".

Stockton Borough Council said it was "required by law" for claimants to provide "specific" information.

Mr Kay, a retired steel erector and former soldier, said as soon as he turned on to the road "both my near-side tyres popped".

He pulled over to find the damage, before contacting the council "straight away" and sending photographs of the road, he said.

Stockton Council said it was aware of the defects and repairs would be carried out

He said there were as many as 10 potholes dotted along the road.

Mr Kay said: "When you turn a corner you don't know exactly where potholes are."

A few days later, he received an email which stated the council "required more information" before a payout would be considered, reported the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"I have to tell them exactly which pothole I hit out of about eight or 10, which is absolutely ridiculous," he said.

"If I can't identify exactly which pothole I hit, I've got no claim. It's just totally wrong."

A council spokesperson said the road had since been inspected and defects had been marked for repairs.

They said: "We are required by law to ask claimants to provide information on the specific defect which has caused damage to a vehicle.

"However, as the damage in Mr Kay's claim may have been caused by two potholes close together, the claim is not closed and the matter has been referred to the highways team for further investigation.

"We will be in touch with Mr Kay soon to progress matters."