Average of nine potholes per Dudley road with town listed in top 10 for reported defects

The town ranked ninth in research carried out by a driving school, with 5,952 potholes reported in 2022 – meaning there were more than nine potholes for each one of the 645 miles of road in the town.

Wolverhampton ranked 20th, with 2,677 potholes reported – more than five per mile of the city's roads.

Wolverhampton Council said coming out of winter into spring, potholes tend to become exposed and the authority continues to work to repair potholes as it becomes aware of them.

A spokesman added: "Wolverhampton Council takes the repair of potholes extremely seriously as we are aware of the issues that they can cause.

"Our highways engineers routinely inspect the condition of the city’s roads to identify any defects and take appropriate action.

"Following reports of an issue, inspectors will attend the site and any problems identified will be raised for repair in accordance with the council’s procedures.”

Meanwhile, Sandwell ranked 37th for the most potholes out of 122 local authorities profiled.

It had 1,616 – nearly three per mile on average.

Walsall, however, was named as one of the places with the fewest potholes last year.

There were 384 potholes reported, according to the data – fewer than one per mile of the area's roads.

Kirklees in West Yorkshire was named the pothole capital of England and Wales, with 19.74 potholes per mile.

Fewer than one pothole per mile on average was reported in Powys in 2022, which was the lowest in England and Wales.

A total of 214 potholes were reported in the Mid Wales area last year.

Motoring experts at Bill Plant Driving School submitted Freedom of Information requests to all local authorities in England and Wales, asking for the total number of potholes reported in 2022, as well as the number of potholes repaired by the council.

Government figures were used to calculate the miles of road network in each local authority area.

A spokesperson for the driving school said: "Potholes are a blight on tarmacked roads, characterised by depressions and cracks in the road surface, negatively impacting road users for decades.

"Whether you are just beginning driving lessons or are an experienced motorist, potholes can affect your journeys as they are uncomfortable, damage vehicles and can increase journey times.

"It is not just drivers that potholes impact. They are even more of a menace for cyclists, horses and pedestrians as it is very easy to trip up over one, which risks falls and the injuries associated with them.

"Consequently, they must be promptly identified and filled in – work which is usually undertaken by local councils in England and Wales."

To view the report visit billplant.co.uk/blog/pothole-report-2022