The council’s highways service is currently testing the capabilities of the JCB Pothole Pro as part of an eight-week trial.

The Pothole Pro is a three-in-one vehicle designed to make pothole repairs faster. First it cuts into the road surface where a pothole has appeared. It crops the perimeter of the hole neatly to allow a watertight repair, and then brushes away and collects the debris afterwards. Highways teams just need to lay and compact asphalt into the prepared hole to complete the repair.

The benefits of using such a vehicle are speed but also that operators are safely in their cab, with no risk of the use of vibrating hand tools affecting their hands or fingers.

Cheshire West and Chester Council carries out regular inspections of the highway network by dedicated staff to ensure potholes and other defects are identified and repaired in a timely manner.

The council’s cabinet member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport, Cllr Karen Shore said: ‘Last year we repaired over 7,000 potholes. We usually see an increase in the number appearing at this time of year but the recent cycle of rain, extreme cold and then mild conditions will have had a big impact on the condition of the borough’s roads.

‘We have programmed in a schedule of pothole repairs using the Pothole Pro over the next eight weeks and will await the results with interest. At the moment our teams are repairing approximately 70 square metres every day.’