The JCB Pothole Pro is being tested on roads across the area, operated by a trained Tayside Contracts roadworker and supported by a five-person crew.

The machine, which is on a 13-week trial, is designed to carry out pothole repairs and large road reinstatement operations more efficiently, economically, and permanently.

It has a 3-in-1 ability to cut, crop, and clean potholes, eliminating the need for additional specialist equipment or extra manpower.

The Pothole-Pro also addresses areas of road that are showing early signs of deterioration, preventing future potholes. It can repair up to 250 square metres of road each day.

Council leader, Councillor Grant Laing, visited Rattray to see the machinery in action.

He said: “This equipment can repair potholes very quickly, and importantly, permanently. We wanted to trial the machine to see for ourselves what benefits it can bring.

“We know that potholes are an issue for motorists. We work to get repairs done as soon as possible and we repaired around 10,089 potholes last year – 7,981 of them permanently. We hope this machinery will allow us to speed up response times, improve the quality of repairs and help prevent potholes developing in the first place.

“An evaluation will be carried out following the trial, and if we believe it can bring long-term benefits, we can look into leasing the machine for further periods of time.”

Economy and Infrastructure convener, Councillor Eric Drysdale, added: “Several councils across the UK are already using this machinery and have reported successes. We want to be able to repair our roads as speedily and efficiently as we can, and we look forward to considering its performance over the coming weeks.”