The UK’s funding to fix potholes has halved in just over a decade, placing it near the bottom of the international league table for roads maintenance.

Analysis by the Local Government Association (LGA) found that of 13 other similarly developed nations, the amount spent by the UK on local road repairs had reduced by more than nearly all other nations on the list.

The body that represents all councils in England and Wales analysed data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) which assessed local roads maintenance spend each year for 38 developed nations.

The latest figures show that the amount the country spends on local roads maintenance has decreased by 51 per cent since 2006 - from £4 billion to just £2 billion in 2019, the last year comparable data was available.

When compared against 13 equivalent “high-income countries” by the LGA, the UK placed above only Ireland.

The latest figures come as the number of potholes on UK roads continues to grow, with the Asphalt Industry Alliance estimating that it would cost £14 billion to fix every pothole in the UK, up from £9 billion in 2012.

The LGA’s analysis showed that only Ireland had seen a bigger fall than the UK at 43 per cent, while Italy had also seen a 51 per cent drop.