MOTORISTS across Whitstable are complaining of a bumpy ride after numerous plethora of potholes have opened up around the town.

Although many holes were repaired after the last bout of freezing weather, the new tarmac has been washed away and more holes have appeared as the cold spell continues.

In Essex Street the infill repair to one hole came away as a car drove over it, prompting complaints that the work was a waste of taxpayers' money.

Council officials have been inundated with complaints about the state of streets in the town, including Old Bridge Road, Saddleton Road and Ham Shades Lane.

June Gowing, of Ham Shades Lane, said one hole in the road was so large cars that were driving on the wrong side of the road to avoid it.

She said: "It is a crater, not a hole. The whole road is bad but this one is particularly bad and it took a few days before it was repaired. I'm surprised there wasn't a serious accident."

Drivers dealt with punctures and cracked bumpers as they negotiated the potted roads, and one furious motorist counted more than 50 potholes in two-and-a-half miles.

He said: "Patching these holes only cures the problem for two days before they re-appear. The roads in Whitstable need to be re-done properly – isn't this why we pay our road tax?"

Kent County Council leader Paul Carter said a new workforce of small and medium businesses would be out on Kent's roads by next month.

They will be invited to bid for work to fix the holes, caused by freezing weather in December, January and February.

He said: "We want to get on with the job of tackling Kent's potholes and fast. I recently announced that we are making available at least £1million additional funds for this. If needed more will be found.

"We also want to back small and medium sized businesses in the current economic downturn. That is why we are opening this up to small and medium sized businesses, to bid for this work and do a quality, find and fix repair on the remaining Kent road network.

"We have already fixed more than 10,000 potholes and more now needs to be done, and when we have the new contractors on board, the blitz can begin in earnest."