Highways teams are fixing potholes on flood-damaged Surrey roads at a rate of hundreds a day.

That was the message from Surrey County Council in its blitz on up to 17,000 repairs.

The council said that in the first two months of this year, its highways crews filled in 18,500 potholes.

That figure was 4,500 more than in the same period a year earlier.

And now, the council has launched a major operation to step up tackling repairs on roads affected by the Christmas and February floods.

Nearly 30 repair squads – double the normal number – are currently working across the county in a four-week push.

The repairs drive has come after highways teams inspected roads for damage and prioritised work.

The pothole action is part of a clear-up that will leave the county council with a bill of at least £15 million to fix Surrey’s roads and bridges.

Surrey County Council cabinet member for highways, John Furey, said: “We’re doing everything we can to put things right for the residents of Surrey.”

He said: “We fixed 18,500 potholes in January and February, and over the next few weeks we’re repairing up to 17,000 more, with hundreds being filled in every day.

“On top of this, we’ll continue our Operation Horizon project to completely overhaul more than 300 miles of roads most in need of improvement, and tackle the root cause of potholes.”