REPORTS of potholes in Trafford rose more than 20 per cent last year, according to figures obtained by The Messenger.

The figures, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, show around 4,165 reports of potholes last year, in comparison to around 3,445 reports of potholes in 2020. A year earlier, the number of reports was less than 3,000.

READ MORE: Top 10 roads in Trafford with the most reports of potholes revealed.

Inspectors from One Trafford, the partnership between the council and contractor Amey responsible for the borough's roads, made around 60 per cent of these reports themselves.

This means the rest of these reports, around 40 per cent, were made by residents.

Although reports of potholes rose, this is not itself an accurate reflection of the number of potholes in the borough's roads.

This is because the figures are bound to include several reports of the same issue.

But a spokesperson for One Trafford did suggest the age of the roads is a problem.

They said the partnership is out non-stop to repair and resurface the roads which are worst affected.

They said: "As part of preventative maintenance, our Highways Team are out every day proactively inspecting the network.

"They also carry out reactive inspections on roads reported to us. This helps us to schedule ongoing maintenance of the highways network such as pothole repairs, and to develop an annual list of capital resurfacing works.

"Due to the ageing network, the number of potholes identified as a result of inspections has increased. However, Trafford Council is delivering an extensive programme of repairs.

"Firstly, potholes at a depth of 40mm or more are to be repaired in 28 days or less, depending on the severity.

"In addition, Trafford Council is undertaking a capital programme of resurfacing works.

"For details on the capital programme, residents can visit trafford.gov.uk/traffordroads."

To report a pothole, go to Trafford Council's website. If a pothole is an immediate threat to safety, call 03330 035865 within office hours between Monday to Friday, or 0161 912 2020 out of office hours.