THE number of potholes blighting the roads of Bucks has shot up this week, with emergency reports rocketing from an average of four a day to 51 a day.

Transport for Buckinghamshire’s emergency crews clearing up after the severe weather of the past two weeks are now concentrating on filling the potholes, with capacity to deal with more than 250 a day.

The sharp rise has been put down to the severe weather leaving water on the roads, and the changes in temperature.

Yesterday, six three-man pothole crews, four two-man area maintenance teams, and the county's two Jet Patcher crews were mobilised to deal with road surface defects.

Although the wind and rain has subsided, there are still areas of surface water on roads across the county. Yesterday four roads were closed owing to flooding.

These included Broughton Lane, Aylesbury; Ferry Lane, Bourne End; Station Road, Taplow; and Haddenham Road, Kingsey.

TfB said these roads will reopen when water levels are safe for drivers. It added that emergency crews, gulley emptiers and Super Sucker crews continue to work to capacity to clear excess water from gullies blocked by storm debris.

A statement from the organisation said emergency crews have been praised by residents, like those in Station Road, Cheddington, who reported a flood to the TfB operations hub on Monday 6 January.

A gulley emptying team, despatched to Station Road, stemmed the rising flood water and laid sandbags to slow the flow towards residents' homes. The Super Sucker tanker returned the following day, working until 8pm to clear 45 tonnes of water, preventing water flooding homes.

Every TfB service has been tested in the past few weeks to deal with flooding, fallen trees, potholes and road gritting.

Janet Blake, Buckinghamshire County Council Cabinet Member for Planning and Transport, said: “I would like to publicly state my praise and enormous thanks to all members of the team who have worked so hard in recent appalling weather to make everyday living better for our residents.”

TfB has also been working with other district councils, and have supplied 100 sandbags to Wycombe District Council to help their teams deal with flooding on Ferry Lane, Medmenham.

With the Met Office forecast for drier weather over the weekend, temperatures may drop below freezing.

TfB gritting teams were out on all precautionary routes yesterday evening and will be monitoring weather forecasts and road surface temperatures.

TfB reminds everyone to drive to the condition of the road at all times, particularly with the possibility of black ice forming.

Between the start of the severe weather on Monday December 23 until yesterday 272 flooding sites have been visited, with crews putting up warning signs, clearing gullies of storm debris, and clearing flood water where possible.

A total of 244 fallen trees and branches have been cleared, with all fallen trees on roads cleared within two hours of call-out For more information on flooding in your area, call Floodline on 0845 988 1188, or visit the Environment Agency website - www.environment-agency.gov.uk To report a flooded road, fallen tree or pothole in Buckinghamshire, please call 0845 230 2882, and keep up to date with the latest alerts on Twitter - @tfbalerts