In six years there have only been 11 successful claims against West Dunbartonshire Council for damage caused to cars by unrepaired potholes.

A Freedom of Information request by the Post revealed that from January 1, 2012, to January 31, 2018, almost 30,000 potholes have been reported to the local authority.

During those six years, there were 162 claims for compensation made against the council for damage caused to their cars by unrepaired potholes, the highest number coming in 2013/14 when the council received 42 claims from motorists.

During the same period, of the 162 claims, only 11 were successful, four of the successes coming in 2014/15. All 11 were decided out of court.

The council refused to reveal how much they spent defending those court cases, claiming the figure was not available.

Only £3,972 has been paid out in compensation to motorists whose cars were damaged by potholes, £2,363 of the payouts going to the four claimants in 2014/15.

Overall, the council spent £3,370,326 on repairing potholes in the area.

But officers admit there is “no maximum time to respond or to repair” a pothole when reported to them by motorists – and they don’t even keep records of where potholes occur.

Figures also revealed that in 2012/13 alone there were 7,650 potholes reported to the council.

In 2013/14 there was a further 5,886 reports recorded, and in 2014/15 another 4,846 reports were made.

In 2015/16 the council received another 5,999 reports and in 2016/2017 they recorded a further 4,694.

And last year the council spent £614,885 on pothole repairs.

The most money the council has spent on potholes in any one year came in 2012/13, when they used up £722,691 of their roads budget.

There has been social media outcry in Clydebank in recent months over the continuing deterioration of roads, especially after the severe winter and the so called ‘Beast from the East’.

When asked how many potholes were reported to West Dunbartonshire Council with potholes in Clydebank, Renton, Bonhill, Alexandria, and Dumbarton central, the authority said they did not keep specific records for each area because “there is no legislative or business reason for us to do so”.

The Post also asked once a pothole is reported, what the maximum time for West Dunbartonshire Council to respond and have it repaired was, and they confirmed there is no maximum time to respond or repair.