THE number of potholes repaired in East Sussex increased last year – with more than 65,000 holes filled.

New figures show a total of 65,144 potholes were repaired by East Sussex County Council in 2014, including almost 25,000 in the last three months of the year.

More than 900 more potholes were fixed last year than in 2013, a year when a bitter winter took a major toll on the county’s roads.

The council’s efforts were boosted by the introduction in October of the Jetpatcher, a device which cleans out crevices with a blast of high-pressure air before filling them with a mixture of sand and bitumen.

Roger Williams, East Sussex County Council head of highways, said: “The freezing winter we experienced two years ago meant that 2013 was an exceptionally bad year for our roads.

“To have actually increased the number of potholes we fixed in 2014 compared to the previous year is a major achievement and testament to the hard work of all our crews.

“New technology can help us to do more, and the Jetpatcher enabled us to repair more than twice as many potholes in the last three months of the year, with roughly the same number of roads gangs and at a fraction of the cost.

“Repairing potholes quickly and efficiently enabled us to ensure the roads were in a good condition ahead of the onset of the wintry weather we’re currently experiencing.”

The figure of 65,144 potholes fixed in 2014 marked an increase of 907 on the 64,237 repaired in 2013. A total of 24,213 potholes were fixed in the last three months of the year, compared to 10,494 in the same period in 2013.

With the Jetpatcher, each pothole costs £13.80 to repair, compared to £60 using traditional methods.

People can report potholes, and check if they have already been reported, online at www.eastsussex.gov.uk/fixmystreet or by calling the East Sussex Highways contact centre on 0345 6080193