A driver identified as Al Mitchell has sent a bill of £300 (#173,595.31) to the Plymouth City Council, the United Kingdom, for the damage on his car as a result of a neglected pothole on his street in Penrith Gardens.

Metro UK reported that Mitchell was charged £300 for the repair of his car but having discovered the cause of the damage, the infuriated driver sent the bill to the council.

Al accused the government of negligence of the pothole that eventually caused significant damage to the ball joint of the suspension arms of his Nissan Qashqai.

According to reporters, Mitchell said he has been complaining to the council about potholes for four years.

Further reports revealed that the car which Mitchell bought last June was deemed to be in full working order before the damage, according to an MOT

Speaking to Plymouth Live, Mitchell said: ‘I asked the manager down there for the workshop, and he said it had likely been caused by driving over potholes regularly.

‘It’s absolutely ridiculous, we’ve been on to them for the past four years about it. We’ve filled in about five forms, rung them a number of times, and all we get is “oh the road’s fine”.

‘We sent them (the council) the MOT bill in the last complaint but we haven’t had anything back from them yet. I highlighted on the bill the repairs I’d been told were likely caused by the potholes. It all just falls on deaf ears.

‘Over four years we’ve been on to them about it, and they’ve partially filled some in once, and then now they’re even worse. ‘It needs the whole stretch redoing, especially with the amount of traffic that comes down here now. It’s just constant.’

Although the council admitted that “there is surface damage to the road there have been no potholes identified that would require immediate repair.”

From indication, the damage to the road could have been caused by the technique used in repairing the road called “‘overlaying’, which is placing a new surface directly on to an old surface, without replacing the core,” causing it to resurface.

The council added that ‘We have an agreed safety inspection process for potholes and anything that requires intervention is at least 40mm and at least 300mm wide.

While the council did not state if it was going to meet Mitchell’s £300 demand for damages on his car, he is said to be proposing that the roads go through MOT tests once every year like automobiles.