POTHOLE reports in Northumberland fell by 74 per cent in the last three months. 

Recent road condition surveys from March 2024 showed A roads are improving due to investment following unprecedented weather including Storm Arwen and the wet winter. 

In Northumberland, pothole reports peaked in February at 2,100, but fell to 535 in May, with 12,588 road repairs carried out since April 1. 

Hexham mayor Derek Kennedy said: "Drivers have had to put up with a lot of potholes over the winter time and I’m glad to read the county council is finally getting on top of things. But I do get a lot of complaints about the state of our roads and we really need more investment in preventive measures such as gully cleaning, to allow surface water to drain away from the road surface quickly."

A Northumberland County Council spokesperson said: "Now the weather is improving, we’re really stepping up a gear and this fall in the number of potholes being reported is testament to the hard work of our teams who have carried out over 12,000 road repairs in the last eight weeks alone. 

“We know we still have a big task ahead and we have 3,000 miles of roads and a lot of those are rural and U and C class. 

"But we're very confident that the significant capital maintenance programme that is already well underway across the county’s highway network will enable us to get on top and improve our roads and deliver a much better standard of repairs."