TWO dragon patchers will soon be out helping to repair East Hampshire’s roads damaged by the extreme cold snap earlier this year.

Hampshire County Council leader Roy Perry confirmed extra funding for this financial year for highways maintenance at a cabinet meeting last month.

He said: “We know that good roads are important to residents and to the quality of life of all those who live and work here, and also to Hampshire’s long-term prosperity.

“Earlier this year, the Government allocated £3million from the national pothole fund to Hampshire, and we will be matching this with a further £3million which will go immediately into more ‘find and fix’ gangs who are tackling the damage on the roads after the winter, and also on two new dragon patcher machines working exclusively on Hampshire roads.”

The dragon patcher is quick and efficient. It can repair a defect five times faster than traditional methods and is effective in all weathers as its ‘flame’ is able to heat and dry a wet road surface before repairing it.

The whole operation, which is done by only one person working from the cabin, takes just a few minutes, and the road is ready for traffic immediately afterward.

Mr Perry added: “While we are preparing to take some tough decisions about how we will plug a projected £80million funding gap by 2021, we remain committed to doing everything we can to address the issues we know people care about most.

“Making sure Hampshire’s extensive road network is fit for purpose is one of our top priorities.”

One dragon patcher is already in operation in Hampshire and a second is set to be brought into use.