A MOTORCYCLIST left injured and £2,000 out of pocket after hitting a large pothole, was furious when a council refused to pay out any compensation.

Steven Griffiths, 56, was riding along Chesterton Lane on March 11, when he was sent tumbling by the damaged road.

The Drift Way resident was treated by paramedics for injuries to his arm and ribs.

His partner, 49-year-old Kim Parker, said the pothole was three inches deep and four foot long.

She added that she thought it was “disgusting” that Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) had opted not to pay any of the £2,058 needed for repairs.

“The council said they’d been out a week before his accident and hadn’t seen a pothole there, but it had white lines around it,” she said.

“He hurt his ribs and grazed all up his arm and I had to go out and get him a new helmet that morning.”

“They knew the pothole was there, it’s been there for months and the road itself was already dangerous because of the parked cars.

“You pay your road tax – and between us we’ve got four motorcycles and a campervan so that’s a lot – and if you don’t pay you get thrown in prison, but they’re allowed to get away with this.”

This is not the first time that potholes have caused controversy in the Cotswolds. On one night in February a large pothole opened up and damaged at least ten cars overnight.

In response to a Freedom of Information request from the Standard, GCC revealed it had repaired 55,000 potholes from January, 2015, to January, 2016.

Scott Tompkins, lead commissioner for highways at GCC, said: “In Gloucestershire we have a thorough highway safety inspection policy in place.

“Our high speed, high traffic roads are inspected monthly, while other roads are inspected quarterly and minor low speed low volume roads inspected annually, as per national guidance.

“We consider and investigate each claim in line with the relevant highways legislation, to make sure every case is treated fairly.

“If Mr Griffiths would like to appeal, he can get in touch with us on 08000 514 514.”