OXFORDSHIRE County Council has admitted it is struggling to always meet its 28-day pothole repair target, due to the number of damaged roads being reported.

In a spot survey, the Oxford Mail found six of the 10 defects reported by us to Oxfordshire County Council were still not filled in 28 working days later.

That’s despite it being the authority’s policy to carry out repairs within that time.

A spokesman said one did not need attention, and that it had to prioritise the most serious cases.

Critics last night warned repairs were not being carried out quickly enough but the council stressed 87 per cent were filled within the 28- day target last year.

We reported the 10 defects, all the responsibility of the county council, on April 5, and we went back on May 16 to see the results.

They are shown photographed above.

The potholes – with their location and photograph – were reported through a dedicated website launched by the council in March.

Deputy leader Rodney Rose then said “the vast majority are already repaired within 28 days” and it was “pulling out the stops”.

The Conservative councillor told the Oxford Mail last night: “We are doing what we possibly can within the funding regime we have and the availability of gangs to do potholes.”

He said four decades of under-investment has left roads vulnerable, especially rural roads “without proper foundations”.

The authority filled 34,214 potholes in 2012/13 – when it spent £5.3m on repairs – compared to 24,000 in the previous 12 months.

More than 1,800 drivers have used the website to request repairs.

Council spokesman Owen Morton said: “We’d like to thank the Oxford Mail for reporting these to us.

“In a number of cases we have unfortunately been unable to complete repairs within 28 days due to the on-going high volume of repairs we are having to deal with, and the need to prioritise the most serious defects for repair.

“We hope to get these done soon.”

Labour’s Liz Brighouse, leader of the official council opposition, said: “The problem is there isn’t enough money to deal with it.

“If you look at the London Road in Headington, it is a disgrace.

“It was only a couple of years ago that whole road, costing millions of pounds, was being done. There should be more funding. Central Government has restricted the amount of money local authorities have to spend.”

Liberal Democrat group leader Zoe Patrick said two “deep” potholes she reported in Newlands Drive, Grove, on February 22 were fixed on April 8.

She said: “It is a fiasco. They are not doing them quickly.

“The service we are getting from the county council is not good enough, to be frank.”

This year the authority is set to receive £1,184.83 council tax from a band D home ratepayer.

Mrs Patrick said: “Motorists are very angry. As far as they are concerned they are paying their road and council tax and are not seeing value for money.”