A study by an insurer has found that Scotland's roads are the worst in Britain for potholes.

The research that focussed on claims for axle or suspension damage found that just over 14% of cars in Ayrshire fell victim to potholes in any given year. Five of the ten worst-rated areas were in Scotland.

The research found the following statistics for Scotland: Ayrshire - 14.05%, Renfrewshire - 13.58%,  Angus - 13.36%,  Aberdeenshire - 11.6%  and Lanarkshire - 10.48% .

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Motoring groups say these findings highlight the need for long term investment.   

Neil Greig, from the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: "Road maintenance is always an easy cut when you have got pressure on your budgets and what I'd be saying to councils today is here is yet another survey that is pointing you out and you will be found out, if you don't invest in your roads.

"It will come back to haunt you and you'll end up at the bottom of these league tables and you'll have to take that on the chin. You need to invest in roads over the long term to actually get that backlog down."  

Warranty Direct said pothole damage was costing UK drivers £413million a year, or £1.1million each day.

Managing director Duncan McLure Fisher said there was a clear "north-south divide" in claim rates.

He said: "Either continuous driving over cracked or uneven road surfaces, or the sudden jolting of a deep pothole, can cause damage to shock absorbers, springs, upper and lower arms and stabiliser bars.

"This appears to be happening more in Scotland than anywhere else.

"Whether this is due to colder weather causing more northern roads to crack or just poor maintenance, it seems to underline a clear difference in the condition of highways across the country."

The average claim for repairs was £240, but some damage costs as much as £2,710 to put right.