Essex Highways crews repaired more than 1,200 potholes last month, including 700 on priority roads and 530 on local roads.

There were a total of 1,221 pothole repairs in January, marking an increase from the previous month's count.

Last year, the county saw a surge of 90 per cent in pothole repairs, thanks to an additional £17.4million funding granted to Essex Highways by the Essex County Council.

County Hall highways boss Tom Cunningham said: "It's been a challenging month for Essex Highways.

"Storms, flooding and cold temperatures have really pushed highways capability and staff to the maximum.

"Despite the challenges faced, the hard work of Essex Highways has shone through.

"We can all see that fixing potholes and making travel safer remains a top priority for the council into 2024 and beyond."

The extra funding, which included £5.4million from the Department for Transport specifically for pothole repairs, allowed the hiring of 11 additional crews, significantly increasing the pothole repair efforts.