Brush with Perth pothole costs driver hundreds of pounds

An Auchterarder man is counting the cost after his car was damaged by a pothole.

Murray Adamson’s car was badly damaged in April in Perth’s Riggs Road.

“Due to the heavy flow of traffic, I had no option but to drive into the pothole,” said Mr Adamson, of Croft Road.

“As a result of this, my car sustained severe damage to the rear suspension and exhaust mounting.”

He initially contacted Perth and Kinross Council for compensation but the local authority told him the drain cover involved was the responsibility of Scottish Water.

His approach to the water company was unsuccessful, however.

A spokesman explained: “Scottish Water’s legal obligation is to repair defects highlighted to us by the local authority (who inspect the area on a regular basis) or by members of the public.

“In this case, the defect was not reported to us so we could not have taken steps to prevent an accident from occurring.”

Mr Adamson, 62, has had to bear the £450-plus cost of the repairs himself.

He said: “I have been put from pillar to post, no one wants to know. I would love to hear from anyone who had reported this pothole in mid April.”