Funding to repair potholes in the North East has been cut by 22%, it has been claimed.
To mark National Pothole Day today, the Labour Party carried out analysis of Government figures and says pothole funding has been reduced in the region over the last year.
According to their analysis, funding to pay specifically for potholes in the North East dropped from £36,672,000 in 2020/21 to £28,492,000 in 2021/22 - a reduction of 22%.
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And total spending on roads maintenance, which includes potholes, went down from £105,283,000 to £82,946,000 - a drop of 21%.
ChronicleLive has contacted the Department for Transport for a response to the claims.
Meanwhile, separate figures show that pothole-related breakdowns have reached a three-year high across the country.
The RAC said it received a "ridiculous" 10,123 call outs for problems caused by damaged road surfaces last year.
That is 19% more than in 2020 (8,524 breakdowns) and a 10% increase on the 2019 total (9,198 breakdowns).
Some 1.5% of all call outs attended by RAC patrols in 2021 were for pothole-related issues such as distorted wheels, broken suspension springs or damaged shock absorbers.
Drivers are more than one-and-a-half times more likely to break down after hitting a pothole today than they were in 2006, according to the firm.
RAC head of roads policy, Nicholas Lyes, said: "The rot appears to have well and truly set in when it comes to the country's roads, with our patrols going out to vast numbers of drivers who, through no fault of their own, are breaking down because of the wear and tear caused by potholes.
"This is ridiculous because it is almost entirely avoidable if roads were maintained properly.
"With drivers contributing so much in terms of tax to the Government, the very least they deserve are roads that are fit for purpose.
"Potholed roads are a menace, not a mere annoyance. They can cause thousands of pounds of unnecessary damage to drivers' vehicles, make using our roads uncomfortable, and can be a serious road safety hazard for anyone on two wheels."
Potholes are often caused by rainwater getting into road defects. When the water freezes it expands, creating further deterioration in surfaces.
Mr Lyes called for "fresh thinking" on tackling the problem, such as ring-fencing a proportion of existing taxation to provide councils with long-term funding for maintaining roads.
A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: "The Government is providing over £5b of investment over 2020-2025 for highways maintenance to local highways authorities across England.
"This is enough to fill millions of potholes a year, repair dozens of bridges, and resurface roads up and down the country."
