Kempston has a huge pothole problem, according to Google

The council has announced millions in funding towards three road improvement projects
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We all hate potholes. Right?

But when it comes to getting particularly vexed, the good people of Kempston win, hands down.

Using data from Google's keyword planner, concrete pumping company TGA Concrete has identified which counties have the biggest pothole problem, based on how often people search for certain terms.

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And what do you know but Bedfordshire is one of the worst, with over 800 pothole-related searches every month. This accounts for 12 searches per 100,000 people.

But Kempston goes one better with 39.62 searches per 100,000.

Figures from the Department of Transport (DfT) show 1 per cent of A roads in Bedford were put in this worst category – unchanged from in 2019-20.

And that 18 per cent of unclassified roads were in need of maintenance in 2020-21 – ​up from 11 per cent a year previously.

Tom Allen, managing director of TGA Concrete, said: “It is no secret that the UK has an astonishing problem with potholes in taxpayers' roads. These holes are dangerous for drivers and can leave cars with unnecessary amounts of problems and damage.

"Repairing a pothole is a simple process. Clean the pothole, remove any rocks or debris, fill it with the required mix, and ensure that it’s compacted down, smoothly and evenly. This process can cost as little as £50 per hole.

"A bill in the excess of £200 would not be unlikely for someone who damages their car on a pothole, so every time one driver damages their car due to a pothole in the road, they could be costing quadruple the price it would cost the local council to fix it in the first place.”

Bedford Borough Council has announced millions in funding towards three road improvement projects.

There'll be maintenance work on two of the most heavily used damaged roads in the borough - Thurleigh Road, Milton Ernest and Milton Road, Thurleigh.

There is also funding for a new drainage system to protect from flooding for Halsey Road, Kempston.

And there'll be resurfacing works on Murdock Road.

You can report a pothole via Bedford Borough Council's website