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More on KentOnline
A man who forked out £700 to cover damage to his car caused by potholes is trying to claim back the money from Highways England.
Gary Hunt travels to and from Erith every day from his home in Strood.
He says that the potholes on the A2 coastbound opposite the Inn on the Lake Hotel have caused two cracked wheels and a damaged tyre to his car last month.
Gary Hunt speaks about his battle for compensation
Mr Hunt, a mobile butcher from Northcote Road has a business unit in Erith, and makes the trip in his BMW or van most days.
The 56-year-old said: "When it happened, I rang them up straight away.
"You can see what's caused the damage, so all it takes is for someone to go out and repair it, even temporarily.
"They need to block the road and get it sorted.
He has also taken issue with the potholes on the slip road which brings you onto the A289 towards Rochester, and wants both parts of the road repaired to stop similar incidents happening to other motorists.
Whilst most roads in Kent are overseen by Kent County Council, motorways and trunk roads (major roads between towns, such as the A2), are covered by Highways England.
Mr Hunt has submitted video and photographic evidence to Highways England to begin the claims process.
Highways England has assigned a claims officer for Mr Hunt's case but has yet to accept liability for it.
"I have reported it five times, I have proof in front of me that it has caused damage. Why is it taking so long to sort this out?
"I am so livid and fuming. I am out of pocket £700."
A Highways England spokesperson said: “We have a comprehensive maintenance and renewals programme across all of our major roads and motorways which helps to minimise the risks of potholes occurring.
"When potholes do occur we repair them as soon as possible - any defects that pose a risk to safety are repaired within 24-hours.
"Safety is Highways England’s top priority, and on dual carriageways like the A2 we carry out a rolling programme of safety inspections every seven days to maintain our roads in a safe condition while causing minimal disruption for drivers."
