The Isle of Anglesey has been ranked the second-best area for potholes in the UK based on the number reported to local councils.

A freedom of information request with UK councils revealed that only 290 potholes have been reported in the Ynys Môn region, with only Kensington and Chelsea in London receiving fewer reports in Britain with 141.

With an estimated 1.7 million across the UK, research suggests potholes are defined by 70 per cent of councils as being a 40mm-deep cavity, the depth of which has the power to crack or even destroy a wheel if hit at the wrong angle. 

They affect nine in ten motorists, but are reported by just one in six, while only one in 14 claim for damage caused by potholes.

The research was conducted by motoring experts Carole Nash, with their head of product, Mark Copper, saying: “Potholes continue to be an ongoing issue for all motorists and, shockingly, the number of damaged roads is now estimated to be in the millions.

“Unfortunately, the government is falling behind on trying to repair them, with the backlog going back 14 years or so and costing in the region of £12 billion to fix. 

“The really serious issue is that if extremely damaged roads are not fixed in the next five years, they will be forced to close due to being a safety hazard. And these safety hazards are exaggerated many times for motorbike users, where the hitting of a pothole can prove fatal.”

In March 2020, chancellor Rishi Sunak pledged a fund of £2.5 billion to repair 50 million potholes in his Budget.

Several months ago, meanwhile, lawyer Nick Freeman campaigned for new laws to be introduced that avoid criminally implicating motorists for any incidents involving potholes. 

He argued that motorists are not responsible for the maintenance of the road, so cannot be held accountable for any incidents that occur if they have been poorly kept. 

Mr Copper added: “When we take all this into consideration, it’s hard not to agree with Nick Freeman’s point of view – that motorists are not responsible for the maintenance of roads. 

“The most important thing to take away here is that all motorists should be reporting potholes to their local council as this is the only way we can ensure the upkeep of our roads in the future.”   

A freedom of information request with UK councils revealed that the best areas for potholes in the UK based on the number reported to local councils are: 

1. Kensington and Chelsea in London (141) 

2. Isle of Anglesey (290) 

3. Sunderland (320) 

4. Rutland (687) 

5. Portsmouth (811) 

6. Bexley (882) 

7. Hammersmith & Fulham (1,283) 

8. Haringey (1,451) 

9. Lambeth (1,607) 

10. Bracknell Forest (1,706) 

In comparison, the councils with the most amount of reported potholes were: 

1. Cornwall (210,311) 

2. Cambridgeshire (184,402) 

3. Derbyshire (172,297) 

4. Devon (147,779) 

5. Oxfordshire (110 106) 

6. East Riding of Yorkshire (106,144) 

7. Durham (99,630) 

8. Rotherham (83,964) 

9. Hertfordshire (72,230) 

10. Fife (70,254)