Hertfordshire is the third worst county for pothole repairs, according to a study by a cycling charity.

Latest figures show that there are 3,691 potholes reported in the county.

The statistics have been compiled by We are Cycling UK, which encourage users to report potholes using the app ‘Fill That Hole’.

As of this week, there are 3,129 open reports in Hertfordshire, according to the government-backed website, placing them third in the list of 214 authorities. Users have been logging potholes in the road since the website was launched in 2007.

Only Kent (3,194) and Surrey (6,744) have a bigger backlog.

Fill That Hole sends reports of the defective road surfaces to the relevant authorities which then notify it when a repair has been completed.

It stresses that some counties receive more reports from the public than others and authorities don’t always provide a notification when work is carried out on a pothole, meaning a pothole will remain as an open report on Fill That Hole.

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However, according to its records, Hertfordshire County Council repaired more than 17,000 potholes in 2017.

Cllr Ralph Sangster, cabinet member for highways at Hertfordshire County Council, said: “The road network in Hertfordshire is one of the busiest in the country and our roads are under incredible pressure. We continue to invest heavily in improving the condition of our roads and spend millions on pothole repairs every year.

“In 2017, we repaired 17,371 potholes on our roads. We have an online fault reporting system where people can report potholes. To avoid potential delays in potholes being assessed and repaired we encourage the public to report potholes directly to us rather than via third party websites.

“According to our records, we currently have 661 reported potholes across Hertfordshire of which 434 have been assessed and scheduled for repair. The remaining 227 will be assessed to see if they meet our criteria and if action is required.”

“Our highways contractor, Ringway, continues to make repairs on our behalf. If residents spot a pothole, report it to us by visiting www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/highwayfaults or phoning 03001234047.”