COUNCILS are not winning the battle against potholes as related vehicle breakdowns between April and June reached a three-year high, a motoring organisation has warned.

The total of 4,091 call-outs received by the RAC was the most for the second quarter of a year since 2015.

Incidents included damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels.

The period followed severe weather in February and March which saw widespread snow and ice.

Earlier this year, Blackburn with Darwen Council received £178,365, while Lancashire County Council will be handed £2.39million to tackle problems caused by cold snaps.

The money was part of a £100m government funding package, announced by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, to help repair almost two million potholes across the UK as well as help protect the roads from severe weather.

RAC chief engineer David Bizley said: “Our roads are still in a poor state of repair after the damage caused by the Beast from the East and the generally harsh late winter conditions the country experienced.

“Councils have been working hard to fix potholes and general road surface degradation, but despite further emergency funding from central government their budgets are even more stretched than in previous years.

“Our figures demonstrate they are not winning the battle and as a result the safety of too many drivers, cyclists and motorcyclists is being put at risk.

“The overall quality of our roads should be getting better, not worse.”

One in five local roads in England and Wales is in a poor condition, a report by the Asphalt Industry Alliance warned.

Martin Tett, the Local Government Association’s transport spokesman, said: “Councils are fixing a pothole every 21 seconds.

“However, only long-term, consistent and fairer government investment in local road maintenance can allow councils to embark on the widespread improvement of our roads that is desperately needed.”

A Department for Transport spokesman added: “We have listened to the concerns of road users and are already providing councils in England with over £6bn to help improve the condition of our local highways.

“This funding includes a record £296m through the Pothole Action Fund - enough to fix around six million potholes.”

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s £17.5million, four-year Network Recovery Programme came to an end in March last year, with spending on highways subsequently reduced.

In 2017/18, the council was granted £2.4 million in government funding for repairing potholes on the local road network which fall under the responsibility of those highway authorities.

The government said the £100m cash was on top of the £6bn it was investing in improving local roads across the country and the £75m funding it has already given this year to councils from a “Pothole Action Fund”.