CITY chiefs are at loggerheads over how to fix the city's roads.

As reported more than £1m has been paid out across Hampshire in compensation to motorists and cyclists whose vehicles have been damaged while driving over potholes.

And Southampton City Council announced just two weeks ago that they are putting an extra £8m into fixing city roads this year.

But Freemantle ward councillor Jeremy Moulton has pledged to splash out on a special pothole fixing machine if elected in May.

The "velocity patching" machine is contracted out - along with manpower and materials - by Sunderland-based firm Velocity.

Cllr Moulton said Conservatives would bring in a velocity patcher machine to "fix all the roads and potholes that Labour are ignoring. The Velocity Patcher can do repairs at 1/3rd the normal cost, much quicker and produce long lasting repairs."

But city transport chief Cllr Jacqui Rayment said her team has considered using the machine, but that it's "not suitable" for Southampton.

She said: "It's something that we have looked at using in Southampton. But a number of local authorities have stopped using them in city centre areas.

"On rural roads it can make a big difference but it's not something that's recommended for cities because it can cause a lot of damage with spray."

She said city engineering contracts Balfour Beatty have terminated their contract with Velocity in Hereford.

But a spokesperson for Velocity disputed this - and that Balfour Beatty have extended their Herefordshire contract "for the rest of the year."

The spokesperson added that the machines don't: "It works out at around £15-£20 a square metre and we can fix up to 200 potholes a day.

"We provide a contracting service - we provide the machines, men and materials. We are absolutely inundated. We have got a fleet of 20 machines.

"There might be a perception that the process is messy, but we employ a three man crew. One guy is employed to sweep and tidy.

"We work in lots of urban areas. We work in central London, Manchester, Walsall and Wolverhampton."