OUT of 558 claims made to Herefordshire Council for pothole damage repairs, just 24 were successful.

The claims were made to the council during 2017 for reimbursement of bills paid to repair damage to vehicles.

Tonie Garrett from Leominster is one driver who put a claim in to the council but had it refused.

She was driving on the A4112 in Leysters when she hit a pothole which she said she could not avoid as there was a car coming the other way.

She said: "I was driving to a friend's for Sunday lunch and it turned into a very expensive Sunday lunch."

The tyre wall was damaged on her Audi TT and it cost £363.44 to have it repaired.

Mrs Garrett said: "It seems all wrong. When I phoned the council on Monday, they said to go and get it fixed and send the form in.

"I might not have been able to afford to fix it then and there. I fixed it and sent the form in, thinking they would pay for the damage caused."

By law, the claimant needs to prove that the highway in question was not maintained appropriately and was dangerous, and this was the direct cause of the accident.

Mrs Garrett said the pothole had been reported five days earlier and the council had 28 days to repair it, as it was listed as a category 2a, which she said means it is not deemed as dangerous.

She added: "If a motorcyclist had hit this, it would have killed him."

A Herefordshire Council spokesman said: “Herefordshire Council and Balfour Beatty Living Places inspect and repair highway defects in accordance with criteria detailed in the Highways Maintenance Plan. This can be found on the Herefordshire Council website.”