A MOTORIST had an expensive start to 2018 after hitting a pothole and damaging his front left tyre.

Mark Brittain was driving his BMW 300 M-Sport along Elton Road, Blackburn, to visit his girlfriend at 3.30pm on December 30.

He said: “I was driving past the Pack restaurant and another driver was pulling out of the restaurant.

“It meant that I had to swerve to avoid the car and my left tyre hit one of the potholes.There were quite a few potholes that merged into one and the tyre burst.”

Mr Brittain managed to get the car to TT Tyres but had to get a replacement tyre.

He said: “My car has a low profile so the tyres are not cheap, from £175 up to £220.

“I have been in touch with Lancashire County Council. I am going to ask for the cost of a new tyre and also the one I had to buy, then also the suspension and wheel alignment.

“A lot of money has been spent on putting speed cameras along the Grane Road and Elton Road to stop accidents, but could money not have been used to fix all the potholes which cause accidents themselves.

“I am sure that I am not the only person to have had this happen and won’t be the last.”

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: “We take safety on our roads very seriously and regularly inspect for any potentially dangerous defects, as well as responding quickly to carry out repairs to potholes reported by members of the public.

“If people report a pothole or other defect as being a potential danger we will inspect and, if necessary, make it safe as quickly as possible.

“We’d ask people to report any issues so that we’re aware of them and can take action if we need to.”