A North-East daily has become the latest regional newspaper to launch a campaign to tackle the scourge of potholes.

The Hartlepool Mail has relaunched its previous ‘Plot the Pots’ campaign after the latest freezing temperatures saw a huge rise in the number of holes in local roads.

It has set up an interactive map, where people can mark potholes across Hartlepool and also add photos of them, and readers have flocked to join in.

Last month, HTFP reported the Sevenoaks Chronicle is using a 24-inch tall Playmobil figure to highlight potholes on its patch as part of its campaign against the winter problem.

An article to launch the campaign said: “Potholes left over from last winter were still due to be repaired when the latest freezing temperatures left town roads crumbling.

“The situation is so bad that highways chiefs at Hartlepool Borough Council have admitted that roads have been left in an ‘atrocious’ state after the latest winter freeze saw a huge rise in the number of potholes.

“Today the Mail is re-launching its Plot the Pots campaign and we are urging you to let us know where there are potholes on town roads.

“Huge holes in the road can be a danger to motorists and pedestrians and need to be repaired before anyone is hurt.

“Council chiefs say the roads have been hit worst by the latest winter weather than for several years as temperatures went below -10C.”

The paper’s campaign has won the backing of local driving instructor David Rennie who said he had never seen the roads in such a bad condition.

And road chiefs at Hartlepool Borough Council have pledged to send inspectors to assess more than a dozen reports of potholes streets put forward by readers.