A woman whose daughter was killed in a crash after her car hit a pothole is calling for improvements on the roads.

Diana Carter's daughter Joanna died aged 22 in a crash in Belgium in January 1994.

Mrs Carter, from Brighton, has joined others who are campaigning for repairs to cover potholes in their streets, saying her daughter's death showed damaged roads posed more of a threat than just damage to cars or nuisance to residents.

She spoke of her ordeal after our report about how local authorities were paying out thousands of pounds in compensation after cars were damaged by potholes.

We also reported last week how residents in Braeside Avenue, Patcham, said buses were shaking the foundations of homes because of potholes.

Mrs Carter said Joanna had only been travelling at 25mph because it was dark and raining heavily.

However, her car hit a pothole hidden by the water. It twisted the wheel and catapulted the car off the road and into a concrete barrier.

Mrs Carter said roads should be maintained and urged councils not to be dismissive about potholes so others like Joanna were not seriously injured or killed.

She said: "It is a hidden danger, not just a possible accident."

The AA said 90 per cent of deaths in accidents were caused by driver error and said deaths caused by problems with the car or road were rare.

However, Paul Watter, head of roads policy at the AA, said: "It is inexcusable for any highway defect to cause death and injury. The AA has said on many occasions it is scandalous for any highway authority to pay compensation for anything they could have foreseen."

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said the council did take potholes seriously.

He said: "We would certainly be looking to repair them before they can cause a serious accident and also we need to bear in mind the safety of other road users such as cyclists and motorcyclists who are even more vulnerable to potholes."