Only five city motorists received compensation for pothole damage in a year – while 71 were left disappointed.

Brighton and Hove City Council officials agreed to pay compensation in only 6.6% of applications in 2013/14.

The authority blamed bad weather for a 58% rise – with one pothole responsible for more than one claim.

East and West Sussex county councils were among the busiest departments in the UK for claims and received a combined 3,267 applications – up 22% on the year before.

In total, 642 motorists across the whole of Sussex received compensation in 2013/14, according to figures released by the RAC Foundation.

East Sussex paid out £124,567 to 395, while West Sussex paid 242 compensation claims worth £78,818 in 2013/14.

Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, blamed the Government for failing to invest in the road network while councils were left to foot the bill for compensation.

He said: “These figures are likely to be the tip of the iceberg.

“Many drivers will be put off by the time involved in claiming and many councils do their best to deter claimants from coming forward.”

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesman said: “Potholes are repaired when brought to the attention of the highways team but, of course, the claimant has to prove negligence.

“On the contrary to making it harder for motorists to claim, the process to pursue a claim is very simple and each one is investigated thoroughly.”

Roger Williams, East Sussex County Council’s head of highways, said: “Roads across the county are improving thanks to an investment of £55 million in the three years from 2014.

“Last year, we repaired 65,144 potholes – 900 more than the previous year, and we now use a device called a Jetpatcher to enable us to fix potholes more efficiently.

“More than 70% of claims are rejected because the council carried out its duty either by inspecting the road frequently enough or repairing the pothole quickly enough once we were informed of it.”

West Sussex County Council said: “The quality of road surfaces across West Sussex is improving thanks to the £30 million Better Roads Programme, which has focused on fixing rural and residential roads in need of repair.

“We are almost one year into a two-year programme, so the RAC’s figures will pick this up in 2014/15.”