DRIVERS are being warned by Devon County Council to take extra care to avoid potholes on all roads and particularly those they use regularly, until defects have been repaired.

The recent spell of severe weather has caused a significant increase inpotholes on the county’s roads being reported by the County's highwaysofficers and members of the public.

The council has deployed 26 pothole gangs working full-time across the county to repair defects on A, Band C roads, and so far over 40,000 potholes have been filled this financial year - double the usual amount.

In the next few weeks the extraordinary inspection will move into the lower classifications of road.

Cllr Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council's Cabinet Member for Highwaysand Transportation, said: "We are urging all road users to take extra care,especially on minor roads during the hours of darkness.

"Motorcyclists and cyclists should be extra vigilant and avoid what may look like a shallow puddle, when it may be masking a deeper hole.

"Despite working flat out to repair them, more potholes are appearing everyday, and although the A and B roads in general have not suffered too much,the minor roads seem to have really suffered.

"We are having to concentrate our resources on ensuring the major roads in the county are treated first,so this means we may not get onto the more minor roads for two to three weeks."

Members of the public are also being encouraged to help the council identify potholes by either reporting any they see online atwww.devon.gov.uk/pothole or by phoning 0845-1551004 on weekdays between 8am and 8pm or on Saturdays between 9am to 1pm.