Residents in High Wycombe have raised concerns over the 'dangerous' state of the town's highways.

Drivers have reported an increase in potholes on roads around High Wycombe, a phenomenon Bucks council attribute to extreme weather conditions.

In the High Wycombe (HW) Facebook group, one resident said they had to spend £400 on buying two new front tyres due to the damage from hitting potholes.

Residents have shared their experiences navigating potholes on the town's roads. 

Mark Ashby wrote: "I just hit a massive pothole at the beginning of the flyover by the fire station going towards the town centre. Having just spent over £400 getting new front tyres because of hitting potholes, I'm getting fed up with it."

Labour Councillor for Downley, Melanie Smith, believes the number of potholes was due to budget cuts from local government.

She said: "It's the same everywhere. Not enough money put in for maintenance and budgets cut everywhere. There's money if central government want to hand it down, but they won't."

Mark Free added: "If health and safety executives were asked to get involved, they would rightly shut these roads until they were fit for purpose. The council are putting road users in such danger."

Several residents of the area also reported damage to their vehicles from potholes on the website FixMyStreet.

One user wrote that they had spotted a "20-inch pothole in the middle of Gordon Road", adding that it was "getting bigger and harder to avoid on the bend".

This morning (March 31), another user reported three interlinked potholes on Totteridge Road. They wrote: “The potholes along this stretch of road are never properly addressed. This is now two-foot long with two more holes linked to it."

Cabinet minister for transport, Steven Broadbent, said Buckinghamshire Council sympathise with drivers who have experienced damages to their vehicles from potholes.

He said: "Unfortunately, the combination of recent weather with freezing conditions followed by heavy rain has had an unprecedented effect on our road surfaces.

"However we have invested extra funds and are working hard to make repairs as soon as possible, prioritising areas where the most significant damage has occurred."

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“Where residents feel they have a claim to make for damages to their vehicle, they should complete the claim form on our website. Please be aware that the process of investigating claims can be lengthy (around 12 weeks) and may not result in a payout. A paper form is available for those unable to use the online form."

It comes after data from the car insurance company Admiral revealed in January that Buckinghamshire has one of the highest numbers of pothole damage claims in the UK. 

Head of claims at Admiral, Lorna Connelly, emphasised that potholes are more than just an inconvenience and can cause costly damage to vehicles. 

She added that, on average, January, February and March routinely see an increase of 43% in pothole complaints, as road surfaces become unsettled by cooler temperatures.