POTHOLE compensation claims cost Lancashire County Council £1.18million in the last financial year.

Burnley MP Julie Cooper obtained the figure through a Freedom of Information request.

Labour health spokeswoman Mrs Cooper said: “These shocking statistics tell us the true story behind the appalling state of the roads in Burnley and Padiham and across Lancashire.”

She blamed the current Conservative administration at County Hall.

Residents of Padiham and their councillor Alan Hosker are angry over delays in repairing a foot deep pothole in the middle of a town centre street.

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans blamed successive county administrations, highlighting pothole problems in West Bradford, Waddington and Clitheroe.

Mrs Cooper was told the total amount of money spent on paying out compensation claims for 2017/18 was £1.18million.

Figures obtained by the Lancashire Telegraph showed total compensation claims in 2015/2016 were £1.2million and 2016/2017 were £2.22million.

They county council is responsible for roads in 12 boroughs including Burnley, Pendle, Rossendale, Hyndburn, and Ribble Valley.

Blackburn with Darwen, a separate highway authority, paid out £192 in 2017/2018, £4,824 the previous year and £7,294 in 2015/2016.

Mrs Cooper said: “A Tory-led county council is now facing up to the financial consequences of their failure to carry out adequate routine road maintenance.

“This is a clear picture of total incompetence.

“Anyone driving around will still see potholes awaiting repair so clearly the payouts are not finished yet.”

Mr Evans said: “The state of our roads is disgraceful and the potholes in West Bradford, Waddington and Clitheroe are appalling.

“The current Conservative leadership is playing catch up after four years of Labour control of the county council.

“The neglect goes back many years under successive administrations. Motorists would prefer their money spent on road repairs rather than compensation payouts.”

Cllr Hosker, UKIP county councillor for Padiham and Burnley West is furious repairs to the large pothole on Ightenhill Street are scheduled for August 6.

He said: “It was a shabby job. I am shocked at the £1million a year cost of compensation.”

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: “We initially filled in this depression in the road believing it to be a pothole, however it has since sunk further.

“Our drainage team will visit as soon as possible.”

The authority is renting six machines which use a jet-powered patching technique to fill 60 holes a day.

Claims against the county council are paid from a special compensation fund.

Cllr Keith Iddon, county council cabinet member for highways, said: “The amount of compensation paid out relating to the condition of our roads fluctuates, but has reduced quite significantly from10 years ago.”