Buckinghamshire Council workers have been trialling the use of an unusual material to fill minor road defects - recycled tires.

Roadmender Mastic Rubber, an adhesive made, in part, from melted-down tyres, has been employed at 95 locations across the county.

The advantages of this material lie in the fact that it is quicker to apply than traditional techniques used to combat potholes.

As a result of this, council workers had time to repaint lines on the road surface while waiting for the rubber to dry.

As the rubber is recycled, its use is also in keeping with council climate priorities.

Application of the material is a two-stage process.

In the first instance, Roadmender Mastic Rubber is poured into defects.

 

This dries and hardens within a 20-minute window, and the final surface is then laid on.

In all, 134 holes have been filled as part of the trial - with the council saving 48 tons of carbon in the process.

It is anticipated that wet weather will result in more demand for council road services.

As a result, Bucks has drawn £5m from its financial reserves for emergency repairs.

Steven Broadbent, Bucks County Council's cabinet member for transport, said: "We are always keen to trial new methods and materials for dealing with issues on our roads and footpaths.

"This particular technique could reduce delays for road users, be more environmentally friendly than traditional road repairs and most important of all, provide durable and cost-effective repairs.

"With our very wet winter we have seen many more potholes and cracks appear on our roads and our crews are out fixing these as fast as possible.

"The good news about this technique is that as it is quick to apply and also dries very quickly, it should allow us to make quicker permanent fixes in one visit for these types of defects."