DAMAGE caused to the county's roads by the recent freezes are being tackled by 'pothole busters'

Hampshire Highways’ extra teams are out across the county tackling the worst of the damage caused to the roads by the recent severe cold snaps.

Councillor Roy Perry, leader of Hampshire County Council, said: “Safety comes first – which is why we have extra gangs out on the ground, as soon as possible after the snow and cold weather, to start tackling potholes on our roads.

“Hampshire Highways gangs are using pre-prepared material, which doesn’t need any mixing on site, and is specially designed to work in cold and damp conditions. This means the gangs can fix more potholes each day than by conventional methods.

“However, these won’t all be long term repairs.

"For many years in Hampshire, we have been investing an extra £10 million annually into our planned maintenance Operation Resilience programme. This approach is more effective than reactive repairs, and is designed to make the roads more resilient to the impact of heavy traffic and severe weather.

"While it is successful in managing the condition of the roads, the money only goes so far, and the recent cold weather has certainly added to the damage and deterioration of the roads.

“We are supporting the Local Government Association in its calls to the Government to increase funding for local roads maintenance, so we can provide the standard of service Hampshire residents expect and deserve.”

Hampshire residents are encouraged to report potholes and road defects direct hants.gov.uk/transport/roadmaintenance/roadproblems.