Hertfordshire motorists could face "years of further pothole misery" say the Hertfordshire Liberal Democrats, after Tory council leaders renewed a maintenance contract blamed for the appalling state of the county's roads.

The deal with operator Ringway has been linked to Hertfordshire being named the UK's second-worst area for highways repairs. The county has an estimated 12,650 potholes, with 1,000 drivers a year lodging claims for vehicle damage. Liberal Democrat opposition councillors say the fault lies largely with the maintenance contract.

Ringway are only required to fix a pothole when it is at least five centimetres deep. Lib Dems say the fussy rules and inefficient system waste resources and leave our roads full of hazardous craters.

The Conservatives - who run Hertfordshire County Council - have renewed the Ringway deal for another seven years, which could even be extended to 21 years.

According to a Lib Dems statement - "they've done this in secret, by refusing to let other councillors see the details of the new contract".

Stephen Giles-Medhurst, Liberal Democrat county councillor and highways spokesperson, said:

"This behind-closed-doors deal is a deliberate snub to Hertfordshire's long-suffering motorists" .

"Tory leaders had a golden opportunity to improve our roads, by insisting on a stringent and ambitious new maintenance contract. But they've squandered that chance".

"As things stand, potholes less than 50mm deep will still go unrepaired and crews will still waste time and money by fixing only the deepest holes - instead of repairing all the adjacent fissures on a single visit. Our county's drivers deserve better."

 Steve Jarvis, Liberal Democrat leader of the opposition at Hertfordshire County Council, said: "The contract renewal should have enabled the council to do a much better job with the same resources. By effectively renewing the old deal on the same terms, the Conservatives have made it clear they have no interest in improving the dreadful condition of our roads".

 "Perhaps it's because they know that they are doomed to lose in May's County Council election. If Hertfordshire has a Liberal Democrat County Council after May, we will work with Ringway to ensure Hertfordshire residents get better maintained roads in spite of what the Conservatives have done."