Dorset drivers have hit out at the number of potholes littered along a major road in the county - with some motorists left with costly repair bills.

The A35 is one of the county's main routes and is used by thousands of drivers each day, but the quality of the road surface is facing fresh questions.

National Highways is responsible for the upkeep of the UK's major A-roads and motorways.

One of the key hotspot areas for potholes is just outside Dorchester from the Monkey's Jump roundabout, while several potholes have been spotted on the west Dorset section of the road between Chideock and Bridport.

Drivers have said it is 'like a game of dodgems trying to miss them', labelling the road 'appalling'.

Someone who drove over a pothole said it 'destroyed a wheel and tyre' on his car, while another claimed they reported the holes outside Dorchester to National Highways two weeks ago.

One driver said she had spotted a pothole between Charmouth and Morcombelake, with another motorist claiming they have been faced with hundreds of pounds worth of garage bills. 

"[I] thought these were supposed to be done on the last lot of night time work? They resurfaced bits that didn't need doing and left the potholes," she added.

National Highways said in a statement that it 'regularly inspects' the A35 to 'help reduce the potential for potholes to form'.

It added it has seen some 'areas of surface material loss' on the route which it put down to the wintery weather conditions.

The A35 hit the headlines a few years ago when a large sinkhole appeared towards the eastern end of the Dorset stretch. 

“We know that good quality roads are important to the millions of drivers that use our network each day," said Andrew Gale, south west service manager at National Highways. 

"Safety is our primary concern and we set stringent standards for pothole repairs on our roads.

“We regularly inspect our roads, including the A35, to help reduce the potential for potholes to form and we are meeting national targets designed to ensure our road surfaces are kept in a good condition.

“We’ve experienced some areas of surface material loss on the A35, due to recent adverse weather, which are not a hazard to the travelling public.

"In the meantime, we’ll continue to monitor and inspect the carriageway between Dorchester and Bridport and will undertake emergency repairs where required.”

What do you think of the state of the A35? Let us know in the comments.