Potholes frustrating Cumbria's drivers and cyclists

Cumbria has the fourth-largest road network in the UK and it is one which is also experiencing increasing wear and tear.

This includes potholes, which leaves many drivers and cyclists frustrated.

One person who sees the after effects of this is Luke Phillips, of Denton Tyres in Carlisle.

One of their customers, Julia Aglionby, lost both tyres just a few weeks ago and still has issues with her car's suspension.

"Driving along the road between Armathwaite and Cumwhintonand there was just a huge bang it was like something had hit the car," she said.

"The wheel had just gone into a pothole right in the middle of the road and it was hard to avoid it because it is a narrow road, you have got to drive safely and that was an instant puncture just like that".

More than three billion vehicles travel on Cumbria's road each year, and the county council say they are trying to help but add that they have a "maintenance backlog over the few five years", which in turn has left them having to "prioritise funding for main priority roads".

Cars also share the roads with cyclists like Robin McGregor, who commutes to and from his job and around Carlisle. He's hoping more can be done to help fix the problem.

He said: "You always see potholes on a push bike maybe a little more than a car depending on the size of them I suppose, but they can be a little dangerous, especially if you are concentrating on traffic. If you get a bit of a bump it can throw you sideways."

Cumbria Council Council added that the "current funding formula used by government favours urban networks particularly where there are large centres of population".