NEARLY 5,000 motorists have made claims to Kent County Council (KCC) in the past two years following damage to their vehicles by potholes.

KCC paid out £133,593 to a total of 4,904 drivers between 2010 and 2012, ranking the council the fourth worst area for pothole-inflicted damage to vehicles in the country.

Punctured tyres, damaged suspensions and wheel rim damage are among the most common injuries inflicted by neglected and poorly maintained roads, according to data obtained by roadside recovery firm Britannia Rescue.

Dartford Council leader Councillor Jeremy Kite, said: “I’m sure KCC is not proud of being near the top of the table but you could argue it’s good they take responsibility for their roads rather than turning their back on motorists.

“But being public money, you do want to minimalise pay outs.”

Cllr Kite said he did not believe Dartford had a particular problem with potholes and praised KCC for their work tackling them.

He added: “KCC have taken a common sense view which is to engage local repair teams.

“Instead of using one big countywide contract, they ask suppliers in the local areas to compete for the contract and that means local firms work on local roads.”

In July, News Shopper reported how a giant 20-foot deep pothole in Gravesend’s Clive Road bought traffic to a standstill, just days before the Olympic Torch passed through the town.

Nationwide, 54,436 claims were made against councils during the two-year period, amounting to £4.8 million of compensation being paid to motorists.

No one was available from KCC to comment.