Britain's pothole crisis has been laid bare with new figures suggesting motorists now pay £3.3billion in repair damages annually.

There are claimed to be one million potholes in the UK and if a driver is unlucky enough to damage their car, they face a £341 cost to rectify. 

Common repair issues include suspension damage, misaligned tracking and blown tyres.

And a study by Censuswide for Close Brothers Motor Finance suggests some areas have it far worse than others.

West Midlands came out top with 33 per cent of motorists claiming their vehicle has been damaged by a pothole in the last year, with the average cost to fix at £350.

Popular cities in this region include Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton.

Snapping at its heels is the North East with 26 per cent of drivers. There, repairs cost around £325.

Newcastle, Durham and Sunderland are the primary cities of this area.

Meanwhile, 25 per cent of motorists in the North West and Wales reported experiencing a pothole incident but repair charges differ by over £100.

In the North West region, which contains cities such as Manchester, Liverpool and Lancaster, it costs £362, while Wales charges £238. This is the cheapest region for vehicle repairs. 

The most expensive region is Greater London. Drivers in the UK's capital face repair bills of £512 and 24 per cent claimed to have been affected.

The North West is the second most expensive, with average charges at £362.

Meanwhile in the East, which counts for Cambridge, Norwich and St Albans, repair bills are a pound cheaper at £361. There, 19 per cent of drivers reported pothole damage. 

But beyond the immediate financial hit, the crisis is causing widespread anxiety among road users.

Separate consumer research found 27 per cent of motorists now rank potholes among their single biggest concerns when it comes to owning and driving a vehicle.

John Cassidy, managing director at Close Brothers Motor Finance, said: 'The state of Britain's roads has escalated from a minor driving inconvenience into a multi-billion-pound crisis that is hitting motorists directly in the pocket.

'Facing an unexpected repair bill of £341 is a bitter pill to swallow. The fear of a surprise financial hit is manifesting as real anxiety for many Britons, with over a quarter listing potholes among their biggest concerns when driving.

'At a time when drivers are already navigating high insurance premiums, running costs, and a broader cost-of-living crisis, we hope the government will continue to support motorists and properly equip local councils to fix this worsening issue.'

Mark Morrell, otherwise known as Mr Pothole, slammed the state of our roads. 

He said: 'Drivers are paying a staggering £3.3billion every year for damage caused by our failing roads, while the maintenance backlog has reached a record £18.6billion and continues to grow by around £1.22billion annually.

'Only one in four motorists successfully recover their repair costs, despite millions of potholes and road defects being reported. The current system is simply not working.

'Government funding increases are welcome, but they are not enough to stop the decline.  

'Britain is losing the battle against deteriorating roads, and without a ring-fenced, index-linked £4billion annual resurfacing programme, on top of existing maintenance funding, the backlog will continue to grow and more roads will fail structurally.

'It's time to stop managing decline and start rebuilding Britain's roads properly.'

Meanwhile, potholes are a major issue for AA members with 96 per cent citing potholes as their number one transport issue.

Last year, The AA dealt with 613,638 pothole-related callouts – an average of 1,681 every day. It says this is costing drivers millions of pounds in repairs.

Edmund King, AA president, said: 'Even though we associate potholes with rain, snow and wintertime, there are still thousands of miles of road this summer in need of urgent repairs. 

'Potholes can cost drivers a fortune but for those on two-wheels it can cost them their lives. We need far more focus on permanent repairs rather than the 'patch and run' approach.'

If your vehicle has been directly damaged by a pothole, you may be able to claim compensation.

First of all, you need evidence. Gather as many photos of the pothole and your vehicle as possible.

Local authorities differ in how they deal with claims processes so double check you know who to report your incident to. This ties in with describing in detail where your pothole is located.  

When you take your vehicle for repairs, keep all your receipts. Scan them to upload with your claim so you can show exactly how much it cost you in total.

To note, for a pothole to be classified 'a pothole' it must be over 4cm deep. It can also help to ask your mechanic to put in writing that your vehicle was damaged by a pothole to strengthen your claim.