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Authorities in the South West of England received a request to fix a pothole every seven minutes last year.

Councils across the region received 80,675 complaints about potholes and other road damage in 2018 to 19, according to new Freedom of Information figures gathered by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

The figures also show there were 3,905 claims for pothole-related vehicle damage (down from 4,061 in 2017 to 18).

Some 661 claims were successful and local authorities in the region paid out £50,043 in compensation - an average of £76 for each complaint.

Overall, £140.2million was spent on repairing roads in the South West in 2018 to 19 - up from £121.8million spent the previous year. 

Potholes are a "major blight" on the nation’s roads , says FSB national chair Mike Cherry.

“Potholes are a major concern for the nation’s small businesses," he said.

“Poorly looked-after roads peppered with holes and cracks not only hamper their ability to do business, but lead to damaged vehicles, which are often vital assets to small firms working without large capital reserves."

According to the federation, small businesses rely heavily on the road network, with nine in 10 small firms considering it to be important, for their staff, customers and trade deliveries.

“These figures show just how widespread the issue is and it’s clear that the Government and local authorities need to sit up and take notice," added Mr Cherry.

The FSB says measures such as more funding for local authorities and improving the coordination between authorities and utility companies will helping "ease the burden" of the issue.

Nationally, almost £1billion was spent fixing damaged roads and holes in 2018 to 19. More than £1.9million was paid out in compensation to claimants who had their vehicles damaged last year. 

The figures revealed that just 24 per cent of claims for vehicle damage were successful across England, with the average pay out per claim equating to £257.