Potholes fuel voter frustration before elections - so what can be done?

Many voters heading to the polls in Thursday's English local elections will have one subject at the top of their agenda - the state of the roads in their area. Opinion polls suggest potholes are right up there with the cost of living, health services and crime as the key deciding issue for how they will vote. From the risk of damage to vehicles costing hundreds of pounds to the danger for those travelling on bikes or by foot, potholes can also be a visible sign of a community's upkeep. The UK government said it wants to end the "pothole plague" although Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, who is responsible for roads in England, struck a pothole and damaged her Mini Cooper last month. Alexander joked she "thought that the astronauts on Artemis II might have seen a similar-size crater" during their recent voyage around the Moon, a comment that attracted criticism from the area's local authority. People contacting the BBC's Your Voice have reported their roads becoming "undriveable" and "dreadful" due to potholes while also raising questions about the response of their councils. But what is the situation facing councils responsible for maintaining the local road network in their are