A survey has uncovered more than 120 potholes across a half-mile stretch of one Kent town.

The craters have developed on 15 streets in Deal, leading some to question whether it could be the pothole capital of the county.

One road, Middle Street, is blighted by 28 potholes alone.

Nearby Oak Street has 20, and 16 have been found in Farrier Street.

KentOnline reporter Sam Lennon counted the craters after being guided around the area by former town councillor Brian Henderson.

One pothole is estimated to be four inches deep.

Mr Henderson says he has reported the issue to Kent Council Council (KCC), while other residents have voiced their frustration at the sheer volume of potholes.

Mr Henderson said: “The whole area needs tarmacking, and they’ve got to have the money.

“When it rains the water is going to get under the potholes and is going to lift the remainder of the tarmac and weaken the substructure of the road itself.”

The area affected is between Alfred Square and Broad Street, in and around the long stretch of Middle Street.

Elsehwhere, surfaces such as the non-pedestrianised High Street are immaculate.

Kelvin Davies, of the M&D Repairs tyre garage in Water Street, described the state of the roads as “terrible”.

He said: “We pay our taxes and these potholes damage alloy wheels and tyres.

“Cyclists already have to negotiate traffic and now they have to dodge potholes because if they hit one they have no chance and come off.”

Deal resident Zoe Page was also frustrated, adding: “They do all these roadworks and shut roads everywhere and still there are potholes.

“It would help if they repaired them properly.”

Troy Osmond, boss at the Smugglers Records shop in King Street, said: “We pay our taxes, including business rates.

“It seems like everyone does their bit [paying taxes] so this should be dealt with.”

Martin Turner, a regular visitor to Deal, said: “I think it is absolutely appalling.

“We all pay our road tax so therefore surely we should have decent roads to drive on.

“Cars are obviously getting damaged in their suspension and tyres. It’s not on.”

Between December 2022 and January 2023, teams at KCC repaired 14,000 potholes and patched 68,414 square metres of road.

The authority says there has been an unprecedented increase in potholes after last winter’s sub-zero temperatures and frequently wet weather.

As a result, it has had five times the usual level of inquiries from the public since December.

A spokesman for Kent County Council said: “We encourage members of the public to report faults on our roads via our reporting tool on our website.

“Information on how we assess and prioritise faults is also available.”