'Pothole wrote off my car but the council won't give me a penny'

A woman whose car was written off after it hit a pothole has been told she will not receive compensation. Sarah O'Connor, 35, was driving home to Hornsea, East Yorkshire, in January when she hit the pothole in Catwick. It burst a tyre, broke the exhaust and caused damage totalling about £4,500. She lodged a claim against East Riding of Yorkshire Council, but its insurer has deemed the authority not to be liable. A council spokesperson said the pothole was repaired the day it was reported, and added that compensation would be paid only if the authority was "found to have failed in its legal duty to inspect and maintain the road within a reasonable timescale". "There were just cars behind us pulling up, piling up, all with the same thing [popped tyres]," O'Connor said. "I don't feel like it's my fault. It's not my job to repair the roads. I just drive on them." Recalling the incident on the A1035, she said she heard "a massive thud, and half my car tilted to one side". She contacted the council the following day and started emailing its insurer in February. "I've essentially been told that they're not going to pay out," she said. "They're not going to give me anything. They say they'

May 25, 2026 → May 25, 2026