Hartlepool motorists are fuming as council refuses to reimburse them for pothole damage

Pothole pictured on Thursday, January 12, on the A179 towards Hartlepool.

Motorists hit the pothole on the A179 from Wingate to Hartlepool on Thursday, January 12, as the sun set and traffic levels grew.

One Hartlepool driver, Stephanie Lowe, was left stranded at the roadside for four-and-a-half hours as she waited for a recovery vehicle after she heard a loud bang and lost tyre pressure.

Stephanie, who works in Wynyard as a care home manager, had to fork out £650 as an excess payment to her insurance company to cover the damage suffered by her car.

A179 as seen in April 2023 after the pothole was filled in January 2023.

But her claim – along with others from motorists the Mail has also spoken to – has been rejected by Durham County Council.

The council insists it inspected the road six days earlier, found no defect and quickly repaired the pothole on January 12 after the problem was pointed out.

Correspondence from the council’s insurers to one motorist also states: “The mere presence of a defect does not confer an automatic liability on the highway authority for any subsequent damage or loss that may occur.”

“Frustrated” Stephanie is now appealing to the council against its decision, adding: “My insurance company paid the bulk of it but I still had to pay the excess which was £650 in itself.”

Wheel damage on Stephanie's Mercedes E-Class.

Due to the nature of her job, Stephanie was given a courtesy car for just under three weeks while her car underwent extensive repairs.

The council has not disclosed how many motorists have filed claims.

But Stephanie’s son, 29-year-old Lewis Ashley Wright, who came to support his mum in January as she waited in a lay-by near the pothole, said at the time: “When I first got there, there were only two other cars there but then before long, more and more were joining.”

The council has speculated that the most likely cause of the pothole’s rapid appearance was due to winter weather and the road expanding after water entered cracks.

Mark Readman, Durham County Council’s head of highway services, said: “We are aware of the claims that have been submitted in relation to a pothole on the A179.

"As the resolution process is currently ongoing, we are unable to comment on any individual cases at this time.”