Task force repairing 25 Sandwell potholes each day

Four two-man squads have been tasked to repair damaged roads.

Workers identified 18 routes adding up to more than 620 miles as they launched the operation last month, repairing potholes immediately they find them and typically dealing with up to 25 potholes daily.

Mark Davis, Sandwell Council highways and lighting supervisor, today said: "We have now repaired between 600 and 800 potholes and covered more than half the borough.

"We have been working constantly since the first bout of cold weather last month - covering footways and carriageways."

Mr Davis added: "Although it wasn't a prolonged period of snow, there was quite a bit of damage.

"It was cold, so any minor defect on the road was exaggerated.

"All it takes is for a bit of water to get under the surface, as it freezes it expands, that's the beginning of a pothole."

Mr Davies said that the defects in Sandwell have generally been between two sq ft and ten sq ft and about 4ins deep.

However, some workers have come across have been more than five sq ft and 6ins deep.

One particularly bad spot was Kent Road in Wednesbury.

He said that dozens of defects created last month still needed to be repaired.

Once work was completed, the patrols would continue.

"Sandwell is a big borough and we are getting round it as soon as we can," he said.

Sandwell Council was not the only authority that has set up special teams to repair the roads after the poor weather.

In the Wyre Forest district, seven extra squads are being brought in with the aim of tackling more than 200 potholes each day.

In Staffordshire, council bosses set aside an extra £500,000 to fix potholes – on top of the £43.5 million spent repairing and improving the county's roads every year.