OFFICIAL figures today confirmed what York motorists already knew: many of the city's roads are in a mess.

Almost one in five routes are breaking up or scarred by potholes, according to the Government.

The situation is likely to worsen. Transport executive Ann Reid says the council invested an extra £500,000 in carriageway repairs last year, but £21 million is needed to bring all the roads up to grade one standard. Meanwhile bendy buses and huge lorries thunder about with ever-greater frequency.

Coun Reid is right to say "more Government money would be welcome". Nearly 60p of the 81p a litre we now pay for petrol goes to Gordon Brown. The relentless rise in fuel prices has left him awash with cash he did not expect.

And the renewal of vehicle excise duty is not cheap either. To call this road tax is a misnomer, as the money generated never seems to be spent on the roads.

It is shameful that the Government has not released more of its motoring revenue for repairing our roads.

However, City of York Council must consider whether it spends its highways funds efficiently. After all, this is the authority which was quick to sting the motorist with a hike in parking charges.

Neighbouring North Yorkshire only has two per cent of its huge network of roads needing improvement.

York's poor road maintenance record, coming days after the coroner said the authority had lessons to learn over its gritting policy, suggests the highways department could do better.

Updated: 11:11 Tuesday, September 07, 2004