ALMOST £500,000 was forked out by the council repairing potholes in one year alone, with more than £60,000 paid out in compensation to those whose vehicles were damaged.

The true depth of the borough’s pothole problem is revealed in new figures released by insurance website confused.com.

It submitted a Freedom of Information request to local councils across the country asking how many potholes were recorded in 2014, 2015 and 2016. It also asked for the minimum depth and width a reported pothole must be in order to be classed as a pothole, how many repairs were carried out and the costs involved, and how much was paid out in compensation to claimants whose vehicle damage was caused by potholes or damaged road surfaces.

The research shows the problem in Barnsley is far worse than it appears on the surface, with figures for 2016 revealing there were 3,612 potholes reported to the council. When the depth of each pothole was added together this drilled down to a total combined depth of 181m - deeper than English Channel.

They were a costly job to repair,with £495,521 spent on fixing the problem potholes. The council also forked out £68,669 on compensating drivers for the damage caused to their vehicles.

Data shows the scale of the borough’s pothole problem was worse in 2015 when 4,335 were reported and the council spent £464,760 on repairs and forked out a whopping £117,729 in compensation.

For 2014, 2015 and 2016 combined, the council was made aware of some 11,505 potholes, costing a total of £1,269,398 to repair and £186,398 in compensation (2015 and 2016 only).

Complete data for 2017 is not yet available but as the cold weather starts to set in, more and more potholes may start to appear on roads.

The Chronicle reported in August how a battling Barnsley pensioner refused to give up in his fight to make the council pay for the damage caused to his car after it hit a pothole near his home on Redbrook Road.

Malcolm Cartwright, 73, won his case and said the victory was ‘a win for the little guy’ with the council having to pay him the £140 for the damage - but also his legal costs.

Amanda Stretton, from confused.com, said potholes are a major bugbear among drivers, not least because of the damage they do to vehicles.

“If drivers experience a bump in the road, they should report it to their local council as soon as possible before the problem gets any worse,” she said. “The cost of motoring alone is getting more and more expensive and damage repairs is a big contributor to this, as car parts increase in price as well.”

To view the interactive animation visit www.confused.com/car-insurance/true-depth-of-uk-pothole-problem