TAX payers will be landed with a “horrendous bill” to repair roads ravaged by the harsh winter weather.

Already £400,000 has been spent repairing 2,500 potholes across Flintshire’s road network, but a further 1,600 have yet to be tackled.

Cllr Tony Sharps, executive member for environment, said: “Financially this is going to be horrendous. We are hoping that it won’t be as much as £1 million, but we are expecting horrendous bills.”

Cllr Sharps has written to deputy first minister Ieaun Wynn Jones to request extra funding to repair the damage.

He said: “In certain places the roads are still critical, which is why it’s so important we get this extra grant aid.

“The roads are in a serious condition across Flintshire and we are doing everything we can to make them safe because it’s a danger to motorists, particularly cyclists and pedestrians.”

In the Chancellor’s recent budget it was announced that £16million of the £100 million highways maintenance budget would be given to devolved governments.

In a letter to Mr Wynn Jones Cllr Sharps said: “There is still a significant funding gap in mitigating the damage to our highway infrastructure.

“Could I please ask with some degree of urgency that the ‘new’ highway maintenance money allocated to Wales is distributed to local authorities as soon as possible to facilitate the speedy repair of the nation’s county road network.”

Members of the public can report a pothole to the council by calling 01352 701234.