Bucks Council has decided it will no longer fix potholes dubbed 'too small', as they need to be at least 4cm deep to qualify for repair.

This comes amidst the revelation that many potholes, despite being reported, go unattended because some councils will only rectify them if they meet a certain size criterion, a recent analysis has revealed.

Over a third (35 per cent) of Britain's local authorities have specified how large a pothole must be before they consider it worth their attention, based on research conducted by the RAC and Channel 4's Dispatches programme.

Up to 54 councils have named 4cm (1.6in) as the most prevalent depth they would operate on.

However, in the case of six councils - Brighton, Torbay, Thurrock, Nottinghamshire, Torfaen and South Lanarkshire - a pothole needs to be at least 5cm (2in) deep to be considered for repair.

A further 13 local authorities, including Buckinghamshire, Stockport and Devon, will only address those that are at least 30cm (11.8in) wide and 4cm (1.6in) deep.

While 37 per cent of councils take a "risk-based approach" on deciding which potholes to fix and the speed at which they should act, almost 29 per cent do not mention any criteria online.

RAC spokesman, Rod Dennis said: "For a long time, we've advised the public to report each and every pothole they come across to their local authority, not least as a council can refuse to compensate for damage caused from hitting one if they can prove they didn't know it existed.

"But unfortunately, as this analysis shows, just reporting a road defect doesn't guarantee it will get fixed."

Accident-related issues caused by potholes include damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels.

In October 2023, the UK Government publicised it would allocate an extra £8.3 billion over 11 years to fix potholes in England, as part of the Network North strategy to use funds saved by halting the proposed extension of HS2 north of Birmingham.

The estimated cost of upgrading England and Wales' dilapidated local roadways has been calculated at £16.3 billion.

Darren Rodwell, transport spokesman for the Local Government Association, pointed out: "Councils are on the side of all road users and want to focus on properly resurfacing our roads, including tackling the £16.3 billion backlog of road repairs.

"Many factors affect repair rates, such as the road profile, traffic levels and available budgets.

"Councils would much prefer to focus on preventative repairs but only greater, year-on-year long-term funding certainty for maintaining all parts of our highways will help them achieve this."

Buckinghamshire Council cabinet member for transport Steven Broadbent explained how pothole repairs work.

He said: "All road defects reported to us using FixMyStreet or observed as part of our inspection regime are assessed by our trained inspectors. The level of response is determined on the basis of a risk assessment, which considers various factors including the size and location of any defect.

"This goes in line with our Highway Safety Inspection Policy and ensures that we prioritise works appropriately.

"We aim to repair as many defects permanently as possible, which sometimes results in a longer timescale for a repair to be undertaken, when it is safe to do so."