GLASGOW’S roads bosses are facing increased pressure to tackle the city’s pothole epidemic.

New figures have revealed that 955 claims were made against Glasgow City Council over damage to cars caused by potholes in the last 16 months.

The local authority has vowed to pump more than £11million in fixing roads and pavements before April next year.

But the AA has insisted more should be done to protect motorists and cyclists in the city.

Jack Cousens, AA head of roads policy, said: “The dramatic increase in pothole claims being raised with the city council indicates how bad Glasgow’s roads have become.

“Across the country, we have seen the local road network crumbling, and local authorities are fighting a losing battle to patch and resurface our streets.

“According to their budget, Glasgow will receive over £21.5 million in parking fees and charges this year. Drivers and cyclists will be keen to see much of this income invested in making Glasgow’s roads safer.”

Between April 2017 and April 2018 the council received 688 pothole-related claims – 239 more than in 2016/17.

And from April to August this year there have been 267 attempts to get compensation. Currently there are 377 claims outstanding, with city chiefs having paid out £139,907 in the last two years.

A spokesman for the council highlighted adverse conditions caused by the Beast from the East as one of the reasons for road problems.

He added: “It was inevitable that the extremely harsh conditions last winter would have an impact on the city’s roads.

“We have teams out across the city on a daily basis working to repair potholes or undertake resurfacing projects.

“Our plan is always to do what we can to keep the roads as safe as possible and to do so as quickly as possible.

“Our on-going repairs and resurfacing programme will see £11.6m invested in repairing 80km of the city’s roads and footways by the end of this financial year.

“Roads authorities are not automatically liable if a vehicle is damaged because of the presence of a pothole.

“Provided an authority can demonstrate that there is a reasonable safety inspection regime in place – and that the system was adhered to – an authority will not normally be liable.”

But Labour councillor Paul Carey said: “The current administration claimed during the election that they would invest more into our roads and yet here we see from these figures this is not the case.

“Wouldn’t it be better for them just to get on with the day job instead of focussing on making policy after policy.”