ANOTHER pothole posse with a licence to fill Southampton's crumbling roads is to be created, the Daily Echo can reveal.

The city council is spending £70,000 on doubling the number of teams despatched to smooth over cracks in the highways.

A new two-man posse will be the fastest fillers in the west of the city while the existing team, which was launched in May in Bitterne, will concentrate on the east of the River Itchen.

Southampton transport and environment chief, Councillor Richard Williams, will announce the launch of the Pothole Posse Mark Two at today's full council meeting.

He told the Daily Echo that the original two-man unit had been so successful that it needed back-up from another "crack unit".

"The pothole posse has been a staggering success, particularly in terms of cutting red tape and efficiency," said Cllr Williams.

"In May alone they did 62 sites, filling a total of 250 potholes, which works out to an average of about 12 a day.

"It is a massive increase in performance because previously they would have to return to the council for a document to fill in a hole that they weren't ordered to do, even if it was in the same street.

"They would also spend about £40 in every £100 on administration because of this whereas we reckon that this figure is now down to about £10."

He said the £70,000 to pay for the two new employees and a "hot box", which keeps the road surface filling warm, would come from an existing budget set aside for other road maintenance work.

The new team is due to be set up at the start of October.