SOME of the worst roads in Suffolk which have cost the taxpayer thousands of pounds in compensation payouts to motorists can be revealed today.

SOME of the worst roads in Suffolk which have cost the taxpayer thousands of pounds in compensation payouts to motorists can be revealed today.

In the past three years more than �20,000 has been paid out in compensation by Suffolk County Council to motorists whose cars have been damaged as a result of potholes.

As well as revealing how much money has been paid out in each claim, a Freedom of Information request has also found which roads have led to the payouts.

In just over two years, there have been 13 successful compensation claims after motorists have damaged their cars travelling on the U4950 Rattlesden to Drinkstone road near Stowmarket. The second worst road in Suffolk for pothole compensation claims is just a few miles away, the C695 in Bradfield St George, which has led to five successful claims.

In total, �21,790 has been paid out by the county council to motorists whose cars have been damaged because of potholes between April 2007 and June this year.

David Goodchild, chairman of Rattlesden Parish Council, said both roads led to problems for people in the area when travelling to Bury St Edmunds.

Referring to the Rattlesden to Drinkstone road, he said: “It was a very rough surface to drive on and you had to drive very carefully on it. But the council took the complaints on board and they resurfaced it and it is absolutely fine now.”

The C560 Beyton to Thurston road is another which has led to damaged cars – in 2009/10 there were five successful compensation claims by motorists.

The biggest individual payout was for �2,202.50 in 2008/9 after a car was damaged on the B1061 Sturmer to Kedington road.

Some of the roads which led to the compensation payouts have since been resurfaced. A spokesman for Suffolk County Council said: “The council complies with the law by having a programme of highways (and pavement) inspections at regular intervals, which are considered sufficient to ensure that major defects are identified and rectified in a timely manner.

“This provides a defence for liability in respect of incidents involving defects in roads, and this is effective as shown by the very small number of successful claims that have been made against the council.”