CHESHIRE West and Chester Council is among the top three highest spenders in the UK when it comes to repairing potholes, according to new research.

The authority has forked out a whopping £39m since 2017 – beaten only by Wiltshire (£69m) and Warwickshire (£51m).

Kent (£34m) and Cheshire East (£24m) were the next highest to complete the top five spending local authorities.

The new research has been carried out by MoneySuperMarket and is based on data sent in response to a Freedom of Information request.

It reveals that Cornwall has the highest number of potholes in the UK, with over 210,000 reported since January 2017.

Cambridgeshire came in second place with 184,000, while Derbyshire (172k), Devon (148k) and Oxfordshire (110k) rank third, fourth and fifth respectively.

At the other end of the findings, Kensington and Chelsea recorded the fewest potholes (141) followed by the Isle of Anglesey (290) and Sunderland City Council (320).

Cheshire West and Chester Council made neither the top 20 local authorities with the most potholes, or the 20 with the fewest.

Stockport reported the lowest pothole spend in the country of £24k, followed by Kensington and Chelsea (£34k) and Rutland (£44k).

Deepa Patel, car insurance spokesperson at MoneySuperMarket, said: "As most drivers will know, potholes are a real nuisance. It's not only that they can be dangerous from a safe driving perspective, but they can also cause damage to your car.

"Burst tyres, problems with suspension and even damage to your vehicle’s body work – potholes can really make their presence felt.

"The cost of repairs for this kind of damage can be high, so it’s important you have the correct level of insurance cover – particularly if you live in an area where potholes are common.

"If your policy is coming to an end soon, you should shop around to make sure you have the right car insurance deal for your needs. Shopping around can save up to £2,80II."