People injured by Staffordshire potholes 'awarded £2 million in compensation'
People who suffered injuries as a result of falling due to potholes in Staffordshire received a combined total of more than £2 million in compensation over the last three years.
This is according to figures obtained by Stoke & Staffordshire paper the Sentinel under the Freedom of Information Act.
It discovered that the local council issued the money in response to claims for slips and trips.
The publication suggested that the number of claims made by injured pedestrians in Staffordshire rose from 468 in 2006 to 686 last year.
Among the successful claimants was 75-year-old Irene Brearley, who bruised her face, cut her cheek and damaged her left eye socket when she fell over an unsecured manhole cap.
Responding to the figures, local councillor Kieran Clarke said: "When we find any defects which have the potential to be dangerous to drivers or pedestrians, we aim to repair them within an hour in an emergency, within 24 hours in urgent cases and within ten days in general repair cases."
Serving a population of around 800,000 people, Staffordshire county council employs more than 30,000 workers.
