Redbridge Council have paid out more than £70,000 in compensation claims during the last two years, for pavement trips, potholes and damaged water pipes.

A Freedom of Information request by campaign group the TaxPayers’ Alliance shows the local authority paid out £44,992 between 2013 and 2014, and £26,794 the year later.

The most common claims are tree roots affecting driveways, accidents from tripping on paving stones and potholes damaging cars.

The council also paid out almost £6,000 to Thames and Anglia Water for burst pipes

The highest compensation claim was £12,162 for a pavement trip last year.

In total this reason was given for £33,534 worth of payouts during the two year period.

Other incidents included injuries while lifting goods, a playground accident and an assault.

But Redbridge’s figure of £71,786 was dwarfed by neighbouring borough Barking and Dagenham who paid out £634,382.

Lambeth was the London borough who awarded the most compensation, with a whopping £5.2million from 2013 to 2015.

Jonathan Isaby, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said the statistics showed society’s “compensation culture”.

He continued: “Of course, some of the payments made by councils will be entirely justified, as the most serious accidents can change lives.

“But in many cases, local authorities and their staff will be failing to live up to the standards required of them by law or paying out on frivolous claims too easily.

“Councils must do everything they can to ensure their mistakes and negligence don’t result in such large bills for hard-pressed taxpayers - and take appropriate action against staff whose actions result in costly claims.”

A Redbridge spokesman responded: “We work hard to make sure that Redbridge is a safe place for residents and visitors and we have been successful at minimising risk and reducing the number of compensation payments in recent years.

“Of course, the council will make compensation payments if the claim is legitimate and after we have thoroughly investigated it.”

He added: “We are happy to be transparent about the amount and type of claims made.”