A CARPET company is rolling out a ground-breaking remedy for the bane of drivers’ lives as the nation’s roads crumble under the effects of the harshest winter for generations.

Millions of potholes have appeared in roads, paths and tracks across the North-East and North Yorkshire, just as highways authorities feel the big freeze on public spending.

North-East flooring specialist Burts has discovered what it says is an excellent solution, sourcing an inventive product which can solve the issue in minutes.

Among the first customers for Ultracrete are the Formula 1 management team led by Bernie Ecclestone, which is using the product to keep tracks smooth and ready to use.

According to watchdog Potholes UK, every year potholes cause a third of mechanical failures and cost motorists £2.8bn.

Authorities pay out more than £50m in compensation claims.

If local authorities had the budget to maintain roads, it would take them an estimated 11 years to catch up with the backlog of repairs.

Darlington-based managing director of Burts Carpets Graeme Kerr, said: “We experienced really bad problems with potholes after the bad winter last year and we were keen to avoid this situation again. We came across this product, which is proving fantastic.

It really does what it says – it really works.”

Family-run Burts Carpets, which has been in the flooring business for the past 100 years, also owns commercial properties in the town and has experienced the damage to car parks that the freeze-thaw action can cause.

Officials managed to find Ultracrete, which is suitable for roads, pavements, driveways, tracks and car parks and can be used instantly in all weather conditions, offering immediate relief to the pothole menace.

The product is effective to depths of up to 100mm, includes a high-grade interlocking aggregate and special-formulated bitumen that is all supplied in recyclable 25kg containers.

Mr Kerr said: “The state of the region’s roads are the one thing everyone is talking about – even more than the weather.

“We have tried this in our own car parks and it has been amazing.

It is so easy to use, and we were that impressed we thought our customers might like to try it too, which is why we have started to stock this as one of our products.

We really believe in it.”

Other users of the product include some local authorities in parts of the country who report it is proving to be a reliable, longlasting solution.

For more details about the product, visit pot-hole-repair.co.uk, or burts.co.uk, or call the Burts Ultracrete team, on 01325-284663.