A message from our Town Mayor, Cllr. Nick Tile:

Have you hit a Pot Hole and it's caused damage to your vehicle?

The Local Authority or The Highways Authority have a legal obligation to maintain,inspect and repair. Ask them to check if this has been done and when. Ask for proof!

What to do!

The first thing to do is start collecting the proof, pronto. No matter which authority you're claiming from, your overall goal's the same – to gather enough evidence to prove the authority was negligent.

If completely safe (not on high speed roads) take photos and measure the pothole's depth. If you've a tape measure handy, and if it's safe try this on a, measure the depth of the pothole and note it down. If it's 40mm or more deep (roughly the height of two 20p coins) then bingo – it's definitely worth pursuing. If it's less, it's still worth continuing, but you might not get the full cost of repairs back. Measure the width too.

• Copies of repair invoices and proof of payment.
• Copies of your mechanic's statement on cause of damage.
• A note (or map) of the pothole's location.
• Note of the date and time the damage occurred.
• Photos of the damage.
• Photos of the pothole if possible.
• Notes from anyone who saw the incident

Good luck and persevere !!!