Phew! Relief is on the way for motorists fed up with crashing into the county’s ever-expanding potholes.

The Government has agreed to give an £8.6m boost to the county council’s Find and Fix repair scheme.

The award follows the wettest winter on record which has led to an increase in potholes across the county combined with road and drainage damage caused by fallen and uprooted trees.

Highways crews have been filling the holes at a rate of 1,000 a week for the past month and the county said it was achieving an average turnaround of 13 days from the date a pothole was reported to the date it was repaired.

David Brazier, KCC’s cabinet member for transport and environment, said: “We knew the appalling weather was going to cause severe damage to our roads.

“Fortunately, we were in a strong position because of the investment we have made in the network over the past four years, and we immediately allocated funding to ramp-up the number of crews tackling potholes.

“However, the roads have taken an absolute pounding and government has recognised this in the funding they have provided.”

The authority said it currently had 40 crews out tackling the potholes.

Residents are asked to report potholes and other faults on line at www.kent.gov.uk/highways, where details can be easily uploaded and locations pinpointed on an interactive map.

In the event of an emergency, residents should call 03000 418181.