HAMPSHIRE’S road bosses paid out more than £200,000 in just 12 months to drivers who complained their cars had been damaged by potholes.

New figures revealed that 716 motorists made claims against the county council – equivalent to two a day – landing council chiefs with a bill of £211,000.

The money was paid in the 12 months to April, 2014 and he figure was a 61 per cent increase on the year before.

ampshire ranks fourth in the country when it comes to pothole compensation, only beaten by Kent, Essex and Surrey.

The figures are revealed just one month after the Government announced Hampshire would receive £140m to deal with potholes.

County council bosses say they have already spent £62m fixing 105,000 potholes in the last 12 months.

Hampshire’s transport chief Sean Woodward said it was no surprise Hampshire was almost top of the list.

He said: “Of Hampshire’s 5,200 miles of road, most of them are country roads and the bases that they sit on are much thinner so when they were under water for months last winter, the roads broke up so it’s hardly surprising that you see that peak in claims.”