ROADS across Dorset cost the council tens of thousands of pounds per year in payouts to disgruntled drivers and cyclists.

Since 2011, Dorset County Council has dealt with almost 1,252 claims against damage due to potholes, paying out £91,253.14 between 2011 and 2015.

It comes after Dorset County Council (DCC) was awarded nearly £1.5m earlier this year to fix potholes caused by the snow and icy conditions from the Beast from the East.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “Over £90,000 being paid in compensation for pothole related incidents over a four-year period shows how poor a condition our local roads are in.

“These figures even predate the potholes created by the Beast From The East this year, so we dread to think what the outlay has been between 2015 and 2018.

“While drivers are well within their rights to claim compensation for a local authority neglecting their infrastructure, this is vital cash which has been taken away from fixing the roads in the first place.

“Drivers would rather this was spent on fixing roads in the first place.”

Sam Jones, Cycling UK’s senior campaigns officer, added: “The true cost is a human one as people cycling are suffering from personal injury and, in the worst cases, even dying.

“The government should concentrate on fixing the underlying problems of our current local roads network before building new ones."

Andrew Martin, service director for highways and emergency planning at DCC, said: “We carry out regular inspections of roads and pavements to ensure they remain in a safe and usable condition.

“Our maintenance policy, which includes highway classification and repair times, is based upon national guidelines contained within the Department for Transport’s approved code of practice."