As the big thaw starts and potholes appear in roads once covered in snow and ice, officials are calling on members of the public to report where they see cavities as soon as possible.

As the big thaw starts and potholes appear in roads once covered in snow and ice, officials are calling on members of the public to report where they see cavities as soon as possible.

The county has seen the last of the major snow for now, according to forecasters, and temperatures are set to creep up to four degrees centigrade by the end of the week.

But as the ice melts, cracks and holes have started to appear in the roads and there are areas where pavements have been lifted.

Already, Lakenham Road, near the Hewett School, has become littered with potholes and Norfolk County Council's workforce has already tackled holes which opened up between Horsford and the A140 roundabout.

It is expected it will be become clear just how much damage the big freeze has done to the roads once all the snow has melted away.

In the meantime, people are being asked to report the holes when the see them.

A spokesman for Norfolk County Council, which is responsible for the roads outside the city centre, said: 'There are roads which are still covered in snow and frost and we're still having to go out to salt the roads at the moment.

'But once the thawing starts to take place more generally, we will have a better idea of the scale of the problem.

'We would appreciate it if people report the potholes to us as they can be dangerous. We would like to know sooner rather than later.'

He also urged people to report where the pavement has lifted in areas in the county. He added: 'Having survived the snow and ice, we don't want people tripping up because the pavements have lifted for some reason.'

Nationally it is estimated that tens of millions of pounds of damage has already been caused by the expansion and contraction of road surfaces as temperatures change, and the final bill could exceed �100m.

Norwich City Council alone spent almost �800,000 last financial year in patching the road surface and filling potholes and Norfolk County Council had a budget of �5.8m to cover potholes and repair the roads.

A City Hall spokesman said: 'We have noticed a seasonal rise in the number of potholes, however, at this stage we cannot say whether the snow or the thaw has made problems worse as a lot of side roads are still under slush so we cannot yet get an accurate picture.'

To report a pothole, go to www.norfolk.gov.uk or call Norfolk County Council on 0344 800 8009.

Have you spotted any potholes in the area where you live? Send your pictures to newsdesk@archant.co.uk