Residents across Carlisle and the surrounding areas have expressed their concern over Cumbria's persistent pothole problem.

Bad weather and a lack of maintenance have been given as two of the reasons why Carlisle has been suffering from potholes in recent weeks.

The constant wear of traffic can widen existing cracks, allowing water to sneak into the holes.

If the weather is cold enough, this water then freezes and expands.

This leads to more cracks and pushes the tarmac upwards, this results in a pothole.

Carlisle city councillor for Wetheral, Barry Earp, believes that a lack of maintenance is what causes the problem.

He said: "The point is, these roads have not been resurfaced for a very long time.

"They are just breaking up.

"We have some very bad roads which have, over a period of time, got worse and worse."

Barry thinks that Cumbria County Council needs to do more.

"Of course it needs to do more.

"As far as I am aware, central government issues money for these roads to be repaired in Cumbria.

"It is about time they used this money to repair the roads."

City councillor for Stanwix Urban, Liz Mallinson, disagrees with the suggestion that the county council isn't doing enough.

She said: "They are absolutely, they are working very hard in very difficult weather.

"It is a problem which, until the weather gets better, they can't get on top of.

"I feel very sorry for highways, because they put salt down, the rain opens the cracks and you have another pothole."

According to Liz, it is a seasonal problem, rather than a maintenance problem.

"This is a problem, but it is a seasonal problem.

"It is because of the salt, rain and expansion - which causes the surface to rise.

"They are doing all they can, but there is only so much they can do."

A spokesperson for Cumbria County Council said:

“During periods of prolonged cold weather, road surfaces are much more susceptible to damage, particularly when periods of wet weather are followed by freezing conditions – the freeze/thaw cycle exacerbates any smaller defects on the road, making potholes and surface damage more likely.

“Within our overall highways maintenance budget we allocate money specifically for pothole repairs, but with limited resources it is incredibly difficult to keep pace. We review all potholes reported to us and members of the public can report a pothole via the council website or by calling the Highways Hotline on 0300 303 2992 – this will generate a reference number which can be used to track the status of repair. “

Send us pictures of potholes in your area to picturescn@cnmedia.co.uk.