THERE'S good news for motorists who have fumed and cursed when their car has struck a pothole in the road.

Modern technology, plus increased manpower, is helping to ensure local drivers have a smoother ride in future.

Worcestershire County Council's Highways Partnership is stepping up its efforts to reduce the problem and drivers' blood pressure by launching a pot hole patrol.

Inspections

The unit will be used to increase the number of inspections of county roads in a bid to spot areas in need of repair as soon as possible.

The pick-up truck is part of the authority's commitment to improving road maintenance.

Jon Fraser, highways partnership manager for Bromsgrove, said: "The patrol vehicle is going to be really useful. Highway maintenance is one of the council's key priorities and the vast majority of correspondence we receive is about potholes.

"We have increased the number of inspectors out and about looking for potholes and now have three covering the Bromsgrove district.

"They also now record defects using hand-held electronic palm computers.

"When they are back in the office, this information is downloaded to our main computer and an order is generated electronically.

"This should ensure the hole gets repaired faster," he added.

County council leader Dr George Lord, from Marlbrook (Con-Alvechurch), said the authority is committed to improving the county's roads and this is an example of how the extra £1m they have invested is making a difference.