Damage to fleet by potholes
Case reference FOI2026/00270
Received 7 March 2026
Published 26 March 2026
Last amended 26 March 2026
Request
For each of the following calendar years respectively 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021
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How many fire engines in your fleet have been damaged by potholes, including damage to tyres, wheels, steering alignment?
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What has the repair cost been?
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How many times has a fire engine been taken out of service to be checked after pot hole related damage?
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Have there been any incidents where a pothole related problem has delayed the response to a 999 call? Can you please supply examples.
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Has your organisation successfully claimed compensation for pothole related damaged to your fire engines and if so how much compensation was received?
Response
Our Property and Technical Support Services department have confirmed that LFB does not hold data on pothole related damage to our fleet. Therefore, we do not hold any information in relation to this part of your request.
Crews may record if they are delayed on their way to an incident and this information is published online through LFB’s mobilisation records:
https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/london-fire-brigade-mobilisation-records-24r65
However, the delay codes that can be recorded do not include “pothole related problems”.
Documents
This is London Fire Brigade's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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