POTHOLES have cost Britain's motorists a total of £915 million in damage repairsover the last year according to new research - and the problem is going to get worse following the recent bad weather.

A study for Kwik Fit shows an alarming increase in the cost of pothole-related repairs of 34 per cent on the figure of £684 million two years ago.

The average cost of repairing damage to components including tyres, wheels, suspension and bodywork has risen only slightly - from £108.60 in 2016 to £111 this year.

However, according to the survey - conducted on a sample of over 2,000 adults - the number of drivers whose vehicles have suffered damage has skyrocketed - from 6.3million drivers a year to 8.2million - leading to the total bill for repairs increasing by £231 million.

Some 70 per cent of drivers surveyed say they have hit at least one pothole a week over the last twelve months, with a quarter hitting one every single day. Drivers in the north west of the country have the worst experience, with over a third (36 per cent) suffering a pothole impact on a daily basis.

A quarter of drivers who have hit potholes over the last year have suffered costly damage to their car, with the most common repairs being to tyres (4.2 million), wheels (2.7 million), suspension (2.4 million) and bodywork (1.2 million).

Drivers overwhelmingly believe that the nation's roads are deteriorating, with 76 per cent saying that the road surfaces on their most frequently made journeys are in a worse condition than five years ago, with 52 per cent saying they are significantly worse.

This mirrors the findings of a report from the Asphalt Industry Alliance which reveals that one in five local roads are now classed as ‘structurally poor' - a 20 per cent increase on last year.

Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit, says:"The poor condition of the road network is hitting motorists' wallets ever harder. Unfortunately, experience of past years has shown us that the recent cold weather will only make the problem worse and we are likely to see even more drivers suffering serious damage from impacts with potholes."