A cyclist who fell off his bike after the tyre hit a pothole is to receive compensation from his local council.

Ian Davis, 49, was travelling between Lambourn and Newbury in West Berkshire in 2006 when he had the accident.

He was thrown over the handlebars and suffered broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and tissue damage to his ankle, hands and hip.

Mr Davis said the pothole had been invisible as he approached it, but the impact of hitting it ripped the handlebars from his hands.

"The accident has had a significant impact on my lifestyle. I’m still able to cycle but due to the pain I can’t ride for long periods like I used to," he told Newbury Today.

He is seeking £7,600 in compensation from West Berkshire district council, claiming that it had not kept the road in an adequate state of repair.

The council said in a statement that it has carried out extensive resurfacing since 2006.

In related news, according to the AA, 2,000 drivers in the UK claimed for pothole damage to their cars in February 2009, up from around 700 last February.