Some 13.84 per cent of motorists need repairs for an axle or suspension failure relating to potholed roads, data from insurance provider Warranty Direct claims.

The figures show a clear north south divide in claims, and of the ten worst rated regions, five are in Scotland and four in Northern England.

The data was taken from 50,000 live insurance policies with Warranty Direct, over an eight-year period.

Warranty Direct's managing director Duncan McClure Fisher said: "It's incredible how clear a north south divide these figures appear to show.

"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 and 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."

Ayrshire in Scotland has the highest rate in Britain, where 14 per cent of cars each year require repairs relating to poor road quality.

Northumberland came in second with 13.84 per cent.

In Oxfordshire only four per cent of cars suffer similar failures each year.

Leader of Northumberland Conservatives Coun Peter Jackson, said: "These figures paint a very disappointing picture, but sadly, not a surprising one.

"As the main opposition group on the new unitary council, we have been calling for improvements to our roads for some time.

"There has been a year on year deterioration in the quality of the roads and in our recent budget proposals, we said that road maintenance should be a top priority."