A COMPENSATION claim to cover the cost of repairing a car was rejected by Worcestershire Cou-nty Council even though it was accepted the damage was caused by hitting a pothole.

Lindsay Turford, 28, a sales executive, of Britannia Gardens, Stourport, faced a bill of £350 after encountering a large pothole in the town's Hartlebury Road, just before the turning to Wilden Lane.

She filed a claim for compensation to the council, giving details of what happened, along with photographs and receipts, as the Shuttle/Times & News previously reported.

Now that her claim has been rejected she is threatening to take legal action to recover her money.

She said: "I feel really annoyed. All I want is the money that is owed to me. It's unfair. The roads are in a bad state of repair.

"I hit a pothole at night and in the rain and it damaged my car but they won't budge.

"I'm in the right and they are in the wrong and I am not letting this one lie. "

She added: "They probably fear that if they pay me they will be bombarded with complaints but they should have a procedure in place to deal with that."

Mandy Owen, a Worcestershire County Council insurance assistant, said: "The council as highway authority can only be liable for the damage to your vehicle if it has been negligent in its duty to maintain the highway.

"In this case, it is able to defend the claim by showing that it has a system of inspection, which is adhered to and that it was not on prior notice of this particular defect."

Mrs Turford had to replace her tyre and alloy after hitting the pothole at 7.35am on Monday, January 14.

People can report potholes by calling Worcestershire County Council's Hub on 0845 6072005.